A Fresh Start
by spannerhsx
Summary: What if there was no Will & Alicia "friendship" at Georgetown? Would they still find each other?
1. Chapter 1

As she sat with her head in her hands contemplating the mess that her life had become, she couldn't help but think that she had been living a lie for the past 5 years. She would never regret her marriage to Peter. After all, he had given her two beautiful children; but sometimes she couldn't help but think that her life would be a lot less complicated right now if she had never met him.

Georgetown was her escape. It was a way to free herself from the constant battles with her family; her mom and dad's feuds; Owens rebelling ... it was too much. She kept her head down in school. She was always on time, always up to date with reading assignments and always prepared. She didn't allow herself to get distracted by anything or anyone. That was until she met Peter Florrick.

She was interning in a firm in Chicago over the summer and happened to bump into him at the courthouse. He was charming, good looking and smart. He had an aura about him that made her find him intriguing. His obvious intelligence and confidence entrapped her. He was her first love and there was a time when she thought he would be her last. After meeting him, time seemed to fly and her life came together in a way she never would have expected. She finished school, graduated top of her class and had law firms falling all over her. It's not until she thinks about it now, that she realises if it hadn't been for Peter, she wouldn't have chosen to work at Crozier, Abrams & Abbott. The main reason she went there was to be close to him and now all she can think about is how foolish and naive she must have been.

However, no matter the reasons for making the choices she did, she loved working. For a while she felt like her work was that defined her ... that was until she found herself pregnant. Soon after this everything changed. She was married and living in a big house in an area she hated surrounded by people who thought they were better than everyone else. Life slowed down for a while, but she still worked hard and she still hard Peter supporting her every step of the way. In the next few years, she climbed the working ladder at an extremely quick pace. She was on the partner track in record time; winning big cases, signing huge clients – all in her stride. Peter was working hard as an ASA and planning to run for states attorney and although she fell pregnant again only a year after having Zach, neither let their own ambitions die. She was caught in a whirlwind. Everything felt like it was moving at 100mph. Peter and his mother begged her to quit work using excuses such as "children need their mother" or "you would be happier at home" but she refused. She hadn't worked so hard for all these years to give it up at the snap of a finger.

3 years later, Grace was 3 years old and Zach was 5. She was still happy at her firm, although she had noticed a slight decline in the amount of clients willing to sign with them. Peter had been elected as States Attorney, and had made history as the youngest one Chicago had ever had. He worked hard. He was absent a lot of the time, and she tried hard not to resent him. He had always been a hard worker. He committed 100% to anything he faced. So his dedication to his office did not come as a surprise to her. Although sometimes she felt like they were two ships passing in the night, she knew he loved her and she knew she would do anything for him; that is until the scandal dropped.

_Her arm stretched out to her left and hit cold material. He was already gone. She was used to this by now; waking up alone. It wouldn't have been so bad if she wasn't also falling asleep alone. She knew her husband had a demanding job, but sometimes, she just wished he would be there more. _

_Her days were nearly always the same. Get ready, go to work, get home in time for dinner with the kids, go to bed; all without Peter. Today was no exception. Although she didn't spend as much time with her kids or husband as she would like, she was blissfully happy; and unaware. _

_She had an insanely busy day ahead of her at work as well as menial chores that she would have to do as she made her way through the day. Work, depositions, dry cleaners, grocery shopping, cook for the kids ... life was hectic. It wasn't at all what she had imagined it would be but it was perfect. So, placing a kiss on both of her children's heads and waving goodbye to her mother, she set out to start her day._

_Standing in line at the dry cleaners she watched the people around her. She watched their body language, she watched the way they interacted with the people they were with and she watched two women point at her whilst talking in hushed tones. Did she know them? She turned back around and tried to distract herself from the two unknown women by watching the TV screen. That's when she saw it. She ran to her car without looking back at all the people watching her. _

_It was the same as any other day; until it wasn't._

_She sat in her car and wrapped her arms around her waist trying to hold herself together. Today was the day her life would change indefinitely._

_Sex._

_Scandal._

_Prostitutes._

_Misuse of office_.

_The few words played on a loop in her mind ... all would change her life; all would complicate her life; all would ruin her marriage. When she got home and put on the news, images of her husband being ushered from his office, trying to hide his face with his hand were shown on every station. Her mother was keeping the children occupied, trying not to be her usual over bearing self and Alicia felt herself falling to pieces. She felt like everyone and everything was moving fast while she crawled in slow motion. Peter had arrived home, begging for forgiveness; not denying a thing. She doesn't think; she can't think. She was vaguely aware that she was crying but wasn't really feeling anything. She supposed she was in shock. Who wouldn't be? _

_After 6 long months, Peter was in jail._

That's how she got where she is today 6 months later, sat at her kitchen table trying to piece together her life after a 6 month leave of absence so she could be with her children which seemed – at the time – like the best thing she could have done. However, when it came time for her to return to work, she never expected what was waiting for her. The firm was failing. Clients were leaving left right and centre and she knew if she wanted to keep climbing the ladder, she would have to leave. She had started applying for jobs as soon as she could. She officially left her firm a week ago, all her clients still with her, just waiting for her to find her new "home". She knew she was good. She knew she would eventually land somewhere but she couldn't deny the detrimental effect being married to Peter was going to have on her career. What successful law firm would want to be associated with the wife of the shamed States Attorney?

As pathetic as it may sound, she didn't really know who she was without the law. She had only stopped working a week ago and it was already driving her crazy. She couldn't understand how people could give it up. Standing in a courtroom and questioning a witness gave her a high like no drug ever could. She always felt confident there. She knew she was good. She knew how to form her questions to make it so the opposition couldn't object. She knew how to make the witness feel intimidated when she needed to but she also knew how to make them feel as though she was their friend. She'd only been at this for 5 years, but time didn't mean anything when you were good. It occurred to her that she'd always been better at her job than at being a wife. She could delude herself in to thinking she was "the good wife"; but it just wasn't true.

So as she sat now, thinking through the mess that her life had become, she was at a loss for words. She watched her children playing in their over sized garden, completely unaware of the mess transpiring around them. They looked so happy and care free and she wished she could feel like that. She would give anything to feel truly happy again. To feel as though there would be a light at the end of the tunnel.

The phone ringing pulled her out of her daze as she ran to get it.

"Hello, I'm looking for a Mrs Florrick?"

"Yes, that's me. What can I do for you?"

"I'm calling from Lockhart/Gardner. Ms Lockhart would like a meeting with you. Are you free tomorrow at 1pm?"

"Yes that's fine, I'll be there. Can I ask what it's regarding?"

"I believe it is for a job interview Mrs Florrick. See you tomorrow."

Diane Lockhart was formidable. She had paved the way for women in law; smashing the glass ceiling as she went. She was undoubtedly a fierce opponent in the courtroom and co-ran one of the most successful firms in Chicago. She had faced her a few times and they had both had wins and losses. She had sent them her résumé thinking that they would be sure to brush her off her and now she could only hope that they were considering her for a hire; although she wasn't going to let herself get too hopeful. She had to admit that Lockhart/Gardner was at the top of the list of firms she had wanted to work at when she was shopping for her new "home". She had only ever faced Mr Gardner once. She smirked to herself thinking about their time in court; he was passionate, smug and sort of intriguing.

_"Objection! Your honour, Mr Gardner is clearly trying to cloud the juries' judgement and make them bias against my client."_

_"I am doing nothing of the sort Your Honour. I am simply pointing out the facts of the case."_

_"Over-ruled."_

_She sighed inwardly as he turned to her and grinned boyishly before carrying on with his interrogation. His arrogance wound her up like no one ever had. It wasn't often that she let her opponent get to her. Her head was always clear. But there was something about this guy that made her adamant that she would not lose; not to him. She couldn't let that happen. _

_And she didn't._

_She rolled her eyes at him more than once. His plan was transparent. He didn't play all his cards at once and he objected as much as possible to try to throw her off her game; but of course, she was smarter than that. As she got in hit after hit, he handed her a piece of paper with a settlement on it. She looked at it, turned to him, smiled and crumpled up in to a ball. In the end, she had won. It was unlike her, but when exiting the court, she couldn't stop herself from smirking at him. _

As she fell from her day dream and thought about the day to follow, she felt nervous. As she watched her kids play outside, she knew this was probably going to be her only chance. This meeting with Ms Lockhart would be make it or break it. No one else had contacted her since the scandal - probably due to not wanting their firm associated with the Florrick name. She thought she probably hated Peter more for ruining her profession than their marriage.

/

As he sat opposite his partner, wading through the multiple résumés that had found their way to his office he felt proud. In 5 years he had gone from junior associate to name partner. He knew it was mainly because Stern and Diane had wanted his multimillion dollar yearly billing sport clients, but he was okay with that and when Stern left it just made everything better for him. He was on top of his game and he was looking at résumés from top Chicago lawyers who all wanted a piece of his firm. He couldn't deny that it was a major boost for his ego. As he happened upon the name of a lawyer he recognised, he couldn't help but push her name forward to Diane. He had seen her in court a lot. She was good, but the playboy in him had other reasons for wanting her at his firm.

"What about Nancy Crozier?"

Diane looked at him with sceptical eyes.

"Are you kidding me Will? The deer in headlights act she does in court infuriates me. She's not someone I want our firm associated with. Her tactics go against everything I believe in".

He knew she was going to knock her down, but thought it was worth a try.

"Fine. But that's your last veto Diane. This is ridiculous. Every one i've picked hasn't met your impossibly high standards". He raised an eyebrow at her and she looked serious.

"I'm not going to hire duds Will. We're on a good run right now. We need good people with us. Not young girls who bat their eyelashes and hope to flirt their way to a win or into your pants".

He couldn't help laughing as he took a sip of his brandy.

"Fine. But can we hurry this up. I've got a date tonight".

They continued through the pile, getting closer to the bottom when he noticed Diane spending an awful long time on one.

"Good one?"

"Alicia Florrick".

"As in cheated wife of Peter Florrick? You're really considering that?"

"Have you faced her in court? She's out standing".

"Yeah. Once"

"And I take it from your lack of expansion that she beat you too?"

"Yeah. I thought I had her. I thought the objections that she actually allowed me to get in would faze her but they never did. And then right at the end I thought I had her and she pulled out this surprise evidence and that was it. She had it".

Diane looked lost in thought. He knew she was considering hiring her. Her husband would of course be a cause for concern, but her connections would probably outweigh this.

"I think we should ask her in Will. Maybe make it informal. She has some serious baggage but she also had a big bag of clients and an outstanding win record". He watched her as she glanced back through Mrs Florricks list of achievements.

"She was in Georgetown? The same year as you?"

Will sighed and rolled his eyes, making Diane laugh. "yeah she was. Although I didn't realise it was her until she beat me in court and I researched her. She was top of our class. Beat me in mock trails plenty of times. She wasn't social though. I never really saw her other than in class. Over-achiever".

"Do i detect a bit of jealousy?"

"Yes. She beat me in school. And then she had the audacity to beat me again in real court. You know how I hate to lose. Ask her in. We'll see how it goes".

He pushed his chair back from Diane's table and made his way into his own office. He sat down and closed his eyes, feeling tired from the long day. His mind was immediately filled by a pale face; half hidden by a mass of long black curls.

_He had seen her all over campus, but never really taken notice; too busy fawning over the more obvious girls. As she sat in class talking to the girl next to her, he couldn't take his eyes away. Her beauty was different. It was understated. She didn't need to try to enhance it; it stood on its own. He heard her laugh. It wasn't a dainty laugh like most girls. It was loud and boisterous and he thought it was the most charming thing he had ever heard. He didn't see her much. He'd catch glimpses of her in a corridor; see the back of her head in class. He thought she was attractive; but he thought a lot of girls were attractive. She wasn't consequential enough for him to waste his time worrying about her too much. However the first time he'd faced her at school he had been completely slaughtered. After her win was announced, she'd turned, looking smug and smirked at him. Alicia Cavanaugh_.

_Years later, he arrived at court prepared to trample on his opponent. As he took his seat, he looked over at the opposing council. As soon as he saw her, he noticed something familiar about her but he couldn't put two and two together. It wasn't until she had won, and turned to smirk at him, that he had put it all together. Of course he had noticed her beauty as soon as he saw her and had watched without shame as she slowly crossed her legs, or ran her fingers along her pen or walked back and forth between her table and the witness. Of course he had found her familiar but so many people in the Chicago law world were familiar to him. Her hair was different; it wasn't a mass of curls anymore. And she had grown up; her jeans and hoodies replaced by what were clearly expensive outfits. The name "Alicia Florrick" was on his mind the whole drive home. Alicia Florrick; the States Attorneys wife. He got home, pulled out his laptop, and typed her name into the search engine. Everything became clear. Alicia Florrick, the States Attorneys wife, is Alicia Cavanaugh._

As he leaned back in his chair, he couldn't deny a sense of excitement he felt as he thought about her working under him. He was looking forward to being able to work with her and learn how her mind worked. He couldn't wait to get to know her like he never had at school. He opened his eyes and shook his head trying to pull himself from his thoughts. This was unlike him. But he couldn't deny that she fascinated him in school and she clearly, still fascinated him now.

His date was long forgotten.


	2. Chapter 2

The sun broke into her room through a gap in the blinds. As soon as a ray hit her face, she was awake and as soon as she was awake, she was anxious. It was her first interview in 5 long years. She had gotten comfortable where she was. The idea of interviewing for a new job and trying to impress new bosses was daunting. The kids had stayed overnight with Veronica, to give Alicia plenty of time to prepare. She missed them. They'd been gone hardly any time, but she still felt at a loss. She took her time getting ready, making sure she looked immaculate. She had heard Diane Lockhart was hard to impress; she made it her mission to do it.

As she made her way up to the 28th floor she felt nerves that she hadn't felt in a long while. This was her shot. She had to be impressive. As the elevator doors open she took in the large extravagant offices. A large number of the walls were glass which gave it an open feel and there were people rushing in every direction. She gave the receptionist her name and was told someone would be out momentarily. She took in everything around her as she waited on the edge of her seat. She had met Diane on multiple occasions. Alicia had always found her presence intimidating and remembering this fact made her even more nervous. She had so much baggage it was bound to be an issue. What if they mentioned Peter? What if they thought she was off her game? What if-

"Mrs Florrick?"

She looked up and was surprised to find herself looking into the eyes of a male; not Diane Lockhart. It was Mr Gardner. It struck her now that he was better looking than she had previously noticed. She put this down to the fact that she was happily married when she had seen him last. He was tall and wore a suit very well. He stepped towards her with his hand out stretched to her. As she stood she took his hand and introduced herself.

"Alicia's fine. Mr Gardner. I was expecting Diane?"

She watched as he cocked his head at her and smiled.

"Alicia". She noticed as he smiled slightly before fixing it back to his professional look. "Will's fine. Diane's running late. We're going to get started without her and she'll join us when she can. So, follow me".

As she followed him to his office it was hard not to notice everyone greeting him as he passed. He was clearly well liked. She already knew he was an exceptional lawyer, but it seemed as though he was also a good person. As they walked in to his office, he gestured for her to take a seat opposite him. She took in his office and nearly laughed; typical man office. There were baseball bats, baseballs, a liquor cabinet and a mini fridge. Everything a man needed.

"So, Diane spoke very highly of you the other day, it seems you have given her quite a bit of competition in the courtroom".

She smiled at him, and before she even really comprehended what she was about to say, the words were out of her mouth.

"If i remember correctly, I gave you _a lot _of competition".

She felt herself blush furiously. She couldn't believe she'd said it. What a fantastic first impression. She started to apologise but was halted when she heard him laughing.

"I was hoping you would have forgotten that. I was so sure I had you. I guess some things never change huh?"

She furrowed her eyebrow in confusion and looked at him questioningly. He chuckled slightly, seeing her confusion.

"I'll try not to be offended that you don't remember me. I was in your class at Georgetown. I never once beat you in mock trials and I'm still holding a bit of a grudge".

She couldn't believe she hadn't noticed it before. Looking at him close up right now, it was obvious to her whom he is. Will Gardner, ladies man of Georgetown. She had seen him on the arm of many women; sneaking out of the girls dorms, walking down the corridor with a flock around him. Of course, she had found him attractive back then too, not that it mattered; she was with Peter and he was too busy dating every blonde with big boobs to take notice of her. She laughed slightly at the thought getting raised eyebrows from the man opposite her.

"I remember you now. Will Gardner, the playboy of Georgetown".

"I was not a playboy. I was just enjoying myself".

"Oh I'm sure you were". She smirked trying hard to stifle a laugh but when he cocked his head and tried to look out raged, she couldn't stop the laugh that escaped her lips. They made eye contact briefly and smiled at each other. She found herself becoming more and more intrigued by the man in front of her, almost to the point that she had forgotten the reason for being the; the interview.

"Anyway, I'm meant to be interviewing you not reminiscing on my playboy days. Diane would be disappointed. So what made you want to change law firms?"

"Honestly? It was a sinking ship. I left a week ago and there was literally about two lawyers left. I loved it there, it was a great firm and they let me grow there but if you stay on a sinking ship ... you drown".

He laughed slightly at her explanation, "Point well made. So why did you apply here?"

"You guys are good. I mean, not good enough to beat me all the time" She smirked at him before continuing "But you're good. I always worked harder if I knew I was going to be up against your firm. I think I was a little bit too competitive".

"There's no such thing as too competitive. So _if_ I were to hire you, when could you start?"

"Tomorrow?" He laughed loudly at her answer. "Too eager?"

"Not at all ... just eager enough. So what position did you hold?"

"I was a senior associate. I was on the partner track which is why it's so infuriating that whilst I was on leave everything fell apart."

"Okay. So Diane's in charge of salaries and positions and all of the important stuff so I don't really know what we can offer you. So we'll have to wait for her ... How was that?"

She was immediately confused. What was he trying to ask her?

"The interview I mean ... you were my first, interview I mean".

She couldn't contain the laugh. It dawned on her that this is the most she laughed in a long time. Which makes her laugh even more.

"It was _really _good; for a virgin". It was his turn to laugh and he eyed her appreciatively. Was she imagining things, or were they flirting? He had to know she were married though, everyone in Chicago did. Although she would be lying if she said she wasn't flirting back; and enjoying it.

"Well then I'm glad you were my first"

He couldn't take his eyes off her. He watched as she looked down, laughing at what he had just said. As she looked up, she glanced at him through her long eyelashes and he thought it was the most alluring thing he had ever seen. They continued until he saw Diane approaching, Alicia having her back to the office doors, hadn't seen Diane approaching and was still chuckling.

"Sorry I'm late Mrs Florrick, depositions." Her eyes moved from Will to Alicia simultaneously, trying to gage the situation. "It appears I've missed a joke?"

He watched as Alicia stood immediately and was amused when her face turned from happy and relaxed to tense and professional in less than a second. She reached for Diane's hand, shook it, and sat when Diane motioned for her to do so.

"You didn't miss a joke Diane, I'm just a funny guy".

"Has he been like this the whole time? If I thought he was going to be a nuisance I would have asked you to wait till I got here."

He eyed Alicia as she laughed. "No, he's actually been very professional, especially considering I was his first interview". She turned her head to Will, raised her eyebrows and smirked knowingly before turning back to Diane, a serious look back on her face.

"Oh well good then. Will you can go now if you'd like? Don't you have a meeting with Mr Sweeney?"

"Oh really? You represent Sweeney? He intrigues me".

Diane looked at Will and laughed. "Intrigues you? I think he's incredibly creepy"

"Oh well yes of course he's creepy. But I would love to represent him. I can only imagine how much of a battle court would be. It would seriously test your skill".

Will turned to Diane hoping to convey in his look that he wanted to hire her. Diane laughed. It was rare. He didn't hear it often.

"Okay, you're hired. And you can second chair with Will on the Sweeney case".

He watched as Alicia's eyes grew wide as if maybe she hadn't heard right. Her head moved from Diane to Will and back again.

"Are you serious?"

"It's yours if you want it. I understand you have a lot of stuff going on in your life right now", he watched as she shifted uncomfortably in her chair and averted her gaze to the floor. "but we can discuss that in due course. Let's get you settled first. We're willing to bring you in as a senior associate. We'll raise your pay from your previous position, and we'll get you set up in an office when you can start. So, when can you start?"

Noticing that she still seemed to be in a slight state of a shock, he answered for her. "Actually, she's already told me that she can start tomorrow". She shot him a thankful smile.

"Great. Well we'll see you tomorrow then. Thanks for coming in Alicia".

He watched as she smoothed her dress as she stood, thanked them both and started to walk out behind Diane. Before she rounded the corner of his office door, she paused slightly and turned to him, offering a slight smile and walking away. He let out a breath he didn't know he was holding. He was in trouble. He knew he wasn't the type to fall, but there was something about Alicia that made him question everything.

/

She drove home with a permanent smile etched on her lips which only grew bigger when her children ran into her arms as soon as she opened the door.

"Uncle Owens here mommy, he gave us cookies". Zach beamed up at her.

"Cookies huh? Before dinner?"

"They begged me, who am I to turn down those adorable faces?"

She rolled her eyes at him, but was unable to restrain her smile. "Well I guess I can let you off this one time. Go clean up for dinner kiddies."

After dinner, when the kids had gone to bed, she went out into the garden and sat with Owen. She told him all about her interview, all about Diane and all about Will. Funnily enough, he was mostly concerned with Will.

"So he was the playboy of Georgetown and he was _maybe_ flirting with you?"

"Yes. And I _may_ have flirted back. I mean it's been so long I don't really know how to flirt. And plus I'm married ... I'm conflicted."

"So you've got a crush on Mr Georgetown? Who cares? Divorce Peter and get some of that."

She couldn't help but laugh at him. He'd always been the same. When they were younger, he was the wild child. He was the one who was always in trouble, always sneaking out and always asking her to cover for him. Alicia on the other hand was always the good girl.

"Mr Georgetown? Are you 5 years old?"

She watched as Owen laughed and poured them both another glass of wine. She knew she'd probably had too many already, but she was celebrating. After 6 long months of everything being about her husband, it was finally about her.

"5 and a half actually."

They both laughed and continued talking about Will, about the kids and obviously about Peter. Owen wasn't quiet about his feelings on her situation. He hated Peter, and she understood it. He may be her little brother, but he protected her like a big brother would; she loved him for it.

I'm gunna go. But you should finish your wine. I'll phone you tomorrow to find out about your day ... and Mr Georgetown."

And with that he was gone. She looked from her seat on the patio up to her over sized house. She knew she probably couldn't afford to keep it anymore; not on one income. But she wasn't all that bothered. Sure she had memories there of the kids growing up so far, but she also has the memories of the kids seeing her cry about Peter. She has memories of sitting on the floor in her bathroom, feeling physically and emotionally drained. She has memories of screaming matches with Peter, all of which ended in tears.

Sure there were memories ... but that's the thing about life; it goes on. You can always make new memories. And that's exactly what she intended to do.


	3. Chapter 3

She woke up feeling elated. For the first time since Peter's scandal she felt as though she had something to look forward to; something for herself; something to keep her fighting. It wasn't until she moved her head that she felt the slight throbbing. She would never learn; drinks with Owen would never end well. Groaning, she reached in to the drawer and pulled out an aspirin.

She glanced at her alarm clock; 6am. If she was being honest, she felt nervous. But it had nothing to do with it being her first day at work. It was more about going to work with Will Gardner. She'd spent most of the night thinking about her "interview". She'd even gone as far as pulling out the Georgetown yearbook. She was pretty sure that he was flirting with her the day before, and she was pretty sure that she was flirting back. How was this _ever_ going to end well?

"Mommy. I'm awake. Can we eat now pleaaasseee?"

She looked towards her door to see Grace stood with a teddy in one hand and a doll in the other. She was only 3 years old and right now, all she knew was that daddy had gone on holiday for a while. She knew one day - when she was older - she would have to face what her father had done, but that wasn't going to be now – or any time soon.

"Okay sweetie. I tell you what, you go and watch some cartoons and wait for Zach whilst I shower and then I'll make you both your favourite pancakes".

The little girls eyes sparkled and her smile grew instantly "Chocolate? You're the best mommy." With that she ran out of the room, making Alicia laugh.

After her shower, she stood in her closet eyeing all her clothes. She found something wrong with near enough every outfit before she settled on a just below the knee fitted black dress with a plum coloured cardigan over the top. She curled her hair slightly, applied makeup and put on a necklace and earrings. She looked professional, but she looked good. It crossed her mind that maybe Will would appreciate the outfit. She quickly pushed that thought aside. Opening her draw and pulling out her notepad, her eyes fell on the manila envelope that lay inside. She stared at it for a moment longer than necessarily before a shout startled her.

"Zach's up! Pancake time Mommy!"

She slammed the drawer closed, leaving the envelope in its place and made her way to the kitchen where her kids were waiting eagerly for their breakfast.

"Morning Zach honey. I'm making you guys chocolate pancakes. Nanny V will be here soon. She's gunna take you to school Zach and then she's gunna spend the day playing with you Grace. How does that sound?"

She watched as Grace contemplated this, furrowing her eyebrow in that cute way that little kids do.

"No mommy today?"

"Not until tonight sweetie. I start my job today remember I told you about that?"

Grace nodded her head but still looked sad which killed Alicia. She pulled her into a tight hug and placed a kiss on her head.

"I'll miss you mommy".

She felt like her heart had been torn in two, but she was saved from tears as Veronica walked in the front door. Exclaiming about how it was cruel and unusual punishment to be up at this time in the morning whilst walking over to the oven and taking over the pancake preparation.

"Okay, mom I've got to go now. It's a good half an hour drive in to the city. Zach's lunch is packed so don't forget it. And I should be back around 6 or 7".

"Honey ... you look good".

It was just like her mother to zone in on something like that rather than wishing her luck for her first day at work. She dismissed her moms comment, grabbed her bag and exited the apartment.

She spotted her name in staff parking and immediately appreciated how fast they worked here. She sat behind her steering wheel for a minute bracing herself for the day ahead. She checked her makeup in the mirror before climbing out, straightening out her outfit and starting her walk to the elevator. As the doors were closing a hand reached in and the doors began to open again. She was face to face with Will.

He pulled into work feeling pretty confident about his day. Staff meeting at 9, client meeting afterwards and most importantly, at some point in the day he would have to have a strategy meeting with Alicia. He'd thought about her more than he would care to admit since she left his office the day before. His mind lingered on her porcelain skin, her wide smile and her slim yet evident curves.

As he stepped out of his car - still thinking about Alicia - he spotted her. He watched as she placed her bag on the bonnet of her car so she could smooth down her dress. He laughed quietly to himself as she wiggled slightly trying to get her dress into the right position. She looked good; too good maybe. He walked behind her to the elevator and stopped the doors from closing so he could get in. She looked taken back at first, but her mouth quickly pulled into a smile.

"Morning Alicia. First day; you nervous?"

"More eager than nervous actually. What's on the agenda?"

"Well first, I'll show you your office. You can settle in a bit, have a swing on your desk chair" she giggled and it almost sounded musical. He paused for a second trying to regain composure. "And then we have a staff meeting at 9. I'm sure Diane will introduce you. And we probably should meet at some point about Sweeney".

She was nodding at him, taking everything in, but didn't speak. "That sound okay to you?"

"Sorry I spaced for a second ... I'm just really looking forward to swinging on my chair".

He knew that probably wasn't the reason she had zoned out, but he decided not to press her on the issue. If she wanted to tell him, she would eventually. They made eye contact and laughed as the elevator door swung open. He motioned for her to follow him as he made his way to her office, which was conveniently, very close to his own. He would like to say he had been smooth enough to arrange it that way, but it was just a twist of fate.

"Okay so, here you go. This is home. I'll leave you to settle in and I guess I'll see you at the meeting".

He reluctantly walked away from Alicia and her office and was called over by another associate. As he was talking to him, he glanced back over at Alicia's office and nearly choked laughing when he saw her spin around once on her chair, laugh to herself and then shake her head as if chastising herself for actually doing it. When his associate had finished talking a few moments later, he made a point of walking back by her office, laughing at her and raising his eyebrows. He noticed how her cheeks immediately flushed as she laughed but tried to avoid eye contact, knowing she'd been caught. The smile stayed on his face until he was sat comfortably in his own office chair; he was definitely in trouble.

The staff meeting moved quickly. Diane introduced Alicia as he said she would. Quite a few associates and partners turned to look at her. Obviously they'd all seen her face plastered all over every media outlet in the last few months and Will quickly tried to change subject. She shot him a grateful look, clearly catching on to what he was trying to do.

After his client meeting was over, he got his assistant to ring Alicia's office and have her come to his office when she could. He found himself unable to focus. He moved from his desk chair, to his chair by the sofa. He stood up. He sat back down. He got a coffee. He looked at the clock. It was an unfamiliar feeling. Sure over the years there had been girls who had lasted more than one night, but none of them made him feel as he was right now. It was foreign to him.

"Will?"

He jumped slightly, the velvet voice pulling him out of his day dream. She stood in his doorway looking unsure as to whether or not she should enter. He smiled and motioned for her to take a seat on the sofa.

"How's the first day? Hectic I'm guessing?"

"It's been busy. I've contacted most of my clients and they're all fine with signing over to this firm so that's good. It just feels so good to be at work again".

"Well then, since work is feeling so good for you, let's get down to it. Have you read the Sweeney file?"

She laughed quietly and it struck him how something as simple as a laugh had never made him feel so good before; not since the first time he'd heard her laugh.

"Well, it's a pretty big file. But I've read the most recent stuff and for what it's worth I think he's innocent."

"Sweeney? Innocent? Two words I never thought I'd hear together in a sentence."

"In general, he's guilty. I have no doubt that he killed his wife. But in this case, I really think it's just a wrong place wrong time situation."

They had worked on the case for 2 hours straight. He told himself it was wrong, but he spent a large amount of the time they had spent together in his office sneaking glances at her. Sometimes his eye lingered too long, thinking thoughts he knew he shouldn't. Once or twice he had looked up to find her throwing curious looks his way, but she had looked away every time she'd noticed him looking back. He almost laughed to himself more than once at their high school like behaviour; but he found it hard to concentrate on his work. He wanted to know what she was thinking. He felt like a teenage boy with his first crush. His mind blurred momentarily as he watched her kick off her heels, stretch and move to sit on the floor. She picked up the takeout container they had ordered a while ago and ate some more. He could tell from the glances she was throwing his way and the look on her face that she wanted to ask him something.

"So, if I wanted to hire a lawyer, from this firm I mean ... how would I go about that? Do I go through you or Diane? Or go straight to the lawyer I need?"

The question had taken him by surprise. They had steered away from all personal conversation the whole afternoon. He was shocked at what made her cross into the personal, but intrigued to find out why she needed a lawyer.

"Should I be regretting hiring you? You haven't murdered anyone have you?"

She laughed, but he noticed how it didn't quite reach her eyes

"Actually I need family law, not criminal".

She smiled slightly, but there was something about her face that made her look almost broken. Since the day before when she'd come to the office, she had seemed so positive. Seeing her look sad and withdrawn got to him more than he thought it should.

"Oh well then you need to see David Lee. It doesn't have to go through me or Diane. But your billing will go through the office". He looked at her as she nodded but made no attempt to talk. "Look, I know we only officially met yesterday, but I'm a good listener if you need to talk."

He hadn't really stopped to think about the repercussions her husband's decisions had had on her. Of course he'd seen her face all over the news. He'd seen her looking fierce trying to get her kids away from the cameras. He'd seen her looking concerned. But he hadn't seen her looking as broken as she did right now sat in front of him. He could tell she was unsure about confiding in him, but he figured she'd eventually give in ... and he was right.

"I think I need to get a divorce. I just feel like I've lost control of my own life. My husband's traded me in for a younger better model, my mom sees my kids more than me, I had to find a new job and I'm probably going to have to sell my house. I hate Peter so much for what he's done. I love him because he's the father of my children but I hate him you know? He's ruined me".

He was surprised by just how much she had shared and from the look on her face he could tell she was too. She looked as though she were inwardly cursing herself. Almost without realising it he reached forward and grabbed her hand. He squeezed it encouragingly and watched as her eyes moved from their entwined hands and then back to him. He knew he had to say something – anything – to try and comfort her. He tried to think of something that wouldn't be inappropriate, but decided it was futile.

"Fuck him Alicia. Your life is yours. You're not ruined. You picked yourself up after he betrayed you and you carried on with your life. That is control. You do have control. And your children know you love them. I bet you're a great mom. And as for trading you in for a better model? That's bullshit. I've seen her, she's obvious and she's easy. You're quietly beautiful and immensely intelligent. Don't let his failure define you. You're not him".

He realised immediately he had said too much. Beautiful? Did he really just admit that he thought she was beautiful? His heart was racing and he could feel himself sweating.

Idiot.

He unwillingly looked at her and she was looking at him with such intensity that his breath faltered. He followed her gaze as her eyes fell on their still connected hands. She smiled. It was so small that he wasn't 100% sure that it had happened. By the time she raised her head all signs of it were gone however the look of intensity in her eyes didn't falter.

"Thank you Will, really".

He smiled up at her, suddenly not regretting his outburst; hoping that he had been able to give her peace of mind, if only for a short time. It occurred to him in that moment that she was so used to just being her and living every day as was expected of her, that she had never stopped to consider how truly fantastic she is; he was glad he could remind her of that.

"Will! Are you ready?"

He felt Alicia immediately let go of his hand and watched as she diverted her attention to the door. Giada. He had forgotten their date. Being in such close proximity to Alicia obviously affected him more than he realised. He looked at Alicia who was trying to look anywhere other than at him, but he didn't miss the small smirk on her face.

"Actually Giada, I should probably sort out here ... we've still got a lot to do."

He looked at Alicia in time to see her turn her eyes toward him.

"I've got this. You two go, we're pretty much done here anyway boss. We can finish everything off tomorrow."

He felt as though he wanted to argue; he wanted to stay. But something in the look Alicia was giving him made him feel obligated to leave. "Thank you Alicia."

He stood, collected all of his stuff and walked toward Giada who was still at the door. As he walked out, he couldn't stop himself from looking back through the glass wall of his office to where Alicia was still sat; in the exact spot he had left her in. He watched as she kept her head down, shaking it slightly with a small smile playing at her lips.

He couldn't help but feel as though leaving was a mistake. A mistake he would most definitely regret.


	4. Chapter 4

She was a month in to her new job and she had never felt so invigorated. Every day was different. Every day was a challenge and every day was another chance for her to discreetly watch Will from afar ... or up close. The more time she spent with him and the more times she spoke to him, the more he intrigued her. There was no denying the attraction. Sometimes, she deluded herself in to thinking that maybe it wasn't all one sided, and then she would see one of his blondes or 20 year olds leaving the office.

But he called her beautiful; maybe the blondes were irrelevant.

She knew she shouldn't even be thinking like this. Officially and legally, she was still married. In her mind, she was far from it. She had already started thinking of herself as single; as awful as that may sound. She had already consulted David Lee, and discussed all the divorce proceedings with him. He had intended to get everything started without her, working through lawyers but she wanted to do it herself; in person. She hadn't seen Peter since she had started at Lockhart/Gardner. It was part of her life that she didn't want him to have any involvement with. But today was the day. Today was the day that she would face him. Today was the day that she would look in to his eyes as he pleaded with her for forgiveness. Today was the day that she would ask him for a divorce.

Everything was in order. Owen had the kids, she'd told work she'd be in late and the papers were in her bag. As she drove, her mind wandered to happier places; places where her husband wasn't a bad person. She smiled thinking of the day they moved into their house. Zach was ecstatic; he barely sat down the whole day. She remembers the chaos of getting all the furniture in, stealing kisses with Peter; being happy. So much had changed. Some for the better and some for the worse; if there was one thing she knew, it was that there was no going back.

The visitation room was bland. It wasn't a happy place where people could reunite with loved ones. There were lights but it still seemed dark. She spotted Peter standing up as he noticed her; with a hopeful look on his face. She walked over to him apprehensively, wishing she were anywhere else but there.

He pulled her into a hug and it took everything she had not to push him forcefully off her. She opted to side step out of it and took a seat opposite him.

"Hey babe." She had always hated how he called her babe. "How are you? How are the kids? Is everything good at home?" She felt her anger rising. How could he be so obtuse? How is everything at home? Is he kidding? He tore his family's life apart and has the audacity to act as though it's nothing; just a small hiccup that will sort itself out in no time; delusional.

"How do you think everything is Peter? Your kids think you're on holiday; I have to work more than ever because I'm the only one making any damn money and we're losing the house. So, do you want to ask me again how everything is at home?"

She watched as his face fell. The happy exterior he previously had worn replaced by a welcomed look of shame. She felt a small pang of guilt, and other feelings that she would rather ignore, but she wanted him to feel bad. She wanted him to know the irrevocable damage he had caused. He may be the one in prison but she felt as though she was in a prison of her own; one he had forced her in to; one his hold over her was keeping her in. She is the one whose life has been torn apart; her and her children. He looked ashamed, and she welcomed it.

"Alicia, I've been set up." She looked at him with cold eyes, almost daring him to try and come up with something that could get him out of the shit storm he had created. "They wanted me out of office. The charges aren't going to stand, they've got nothing. I'll be out of here in no time. And then everything can go back to normal."

She glared at him, finally allowing her anger to bubble over the surface of her usually calm exterior.

"Back to normal? Are you kidding me Peter? Are you actually kidding me right now? You slept with hookers. You think I want everything to go back to normal? Do you really think I'm that weak minded? You didn't marry a suburban housewife who caters for your every need and never leaves your side. I'm not going to welcome you back in to our bed with open arms. Did you really think that was what was going to happen? That you would get out and I'd welcome you back into _my_ home? Into _my_ bed? I can't even stand to look at you right now Peter."

"Alicia, babe, that's not what I meant. I know it's going to take time and work and compromise, I know I made mistakes with our marriage, but the other charges, they're not true. My bail hearing is next week ... you need to be there."

"I _need_ to be there? You lost the right to tell me what I _need_ to do when you screwed your whores."

She took a deep breath, reached in to her bag and pulled out the envelope inside. She threw it toward him and noted the look of incredulity on his face.

"I want a divorce Peter."

With that, she stood up and walked out of the prison, not giving him a chance to respond. She heard him shout her name as she walked away, but she kept walking; never looking back, imagining each step she took was a step closer to freedom, but feeling less confident than she appeared. As soon as she got in her car, the flood gates opened. She was strong, but there was only so much someone could take before they broke down.

She drove to work almost robotically. Willing her mind not to think; trying to forget the last hour. It was futile of course. Her mind raced. How could he have been so narrow minded? How could he think she would run back to him? Wait for him with open arms? She laughed to herself. Of course he thought those things. He's still the same Peter he's always been. He's always been selfish; more concerned with his own personal gain than anything happening around him. She would have to be a fool to believe that it would ever be any different.

She looked in the mirror and groaned at her dishevelled appearance. She needed wine, but burying herself in work would have to be a good substitute. Dreaming of hiding herself in paperwork in her office for the rest of the day, she took the elevator to the 28th floor. She rounded the corner to her office and was frozen in place by the sight in front of her; Will ... and her mother.

/

He wandered in to her office, knowing that she was coming in late, but hoping she would already be there. Diane was driving him insane. She'd spent the whole morning so far drilling in to him about how they needed new clients; rich clients. He hated the business side of his work. He just liked to do his job; being a lawyer. The day to day running of the firm wasn't what he cared about. He wanted to go to court and watch his opponents sweat. He wanted to make the witnesses flustered. He didn't care about billable hours – although he knew he should – he just cared about winning.

So when he arrived at her office - hoping to escape the trivial for a while - and found it empty, he couldn't help but feel disappointed. He entered anyway, knowing Diane wouldn't be likely to find him there. He looked around the office and smiled to himself. It was homely. Most of the offices were messy, filled with files; papers thrown everywhere ... but not Alicia's. Everything had a place; there were photos everywhere. It was inviting and comforting. He walked over to where most of her photos were and scanned them all quickly looking for one thing in particular and smiling smugly to himself when he found it absent; Peter. Not a single photo. He picked up a photo of Alicia at Georgetown, smiling with her friend who he recognised but didn't remember the name of. She looked so carefree; it was a candid shot, neither of them aware of the photo being taken. He almost hated himself for not knowing her then. Watching her from a distance as he had many times was the coward's way out; and he knew it.

"You're not my daughter."

He put the photo down in such a rush that he knocked it over, fumbling with it trying to get it back in to place and turning around to see the amused look on Alicia's mothers face. He noticed the small girl in her arms and smiled immediately, noticing the resemblance between her and her mother.

"No, I'm not ... I'm her boss, Will Gardner."

He watched as she raised an eyebrow and laughed, clearly in on a joke he was unaware of and moved to sit on the sofa.

"Ah, Mr Georgetown, it's a pleasure to finally meet you. I'm veronica."

He felt his eyebrows pull together in confusion at the nickname, "um, Mr Georgetown?"

"Oh that's what my daughter and her brother have nicknamed you."

She laughed again and he couldn't stop himself from joining in; secretly revelling in the fact that Alicia quite obviously discusses him with her family. He wished he knew what had been discussed, he didn't care if it were good or bad, just the thought of her talking about him made a smile involuntary spread across his face; something he hoped had gone unnoticed by her mother.

He cast his attention to the undeniably cute little girl huddled next to her grandmother. She was looking at him with a look of confusion. As if trying to work him out. He laughed to himself as the look immediately reminded him of her mother. Veronica must have caught the direction of his attention;

"This little troublemaker is Grace."

He smiled, and knelt down in front of her. She scrunched her face up again looking at him with the same look of confusion he had seen her mother wear so many times in the last month. It was the face she made when she was trying to make sense of some information; or when something wasn't going her way.

"Hey little one. You look just like your momma when you pull that cute little face." She smiled at him, obviously appreciating being compared to her mom, and he mentally patted himself on the back for doing something right. "You want to draw something for when your mom gets back? I'm sure I can get some stuff together."

She nodded and smiled a huge award winning smile at him. He was at the desk in seconds gathering supplies, unaware of the presence that had just arrived at the door.

"Mom ... what are you doing here?"

He turned around and caught Alicia's eyes darting from her moms, to her daughters, to his and back again; clearly uncomfortable with the situation.

"Oh don't look so panicked Alicia we just got here. I wanted to see how you were after your trip to prison."

Will watched as Alicia's eyes grew wide as she stared down her mother and cast a glance his way, shaking her head slightly. She clearly didn't want to discuss what had happened in front of him. He tried to ignore the conversation they were still having, trying to busy himself with papers on her desk. Realising it was futile; he turned his attention to Grace.

He watched as Alicia bent down slightly – still talking to her mother – and held her arms out in Graces general direction. The little girl didn't hesitate to run into her mother's arms. He smiled almost automatically as he heard Alicia whisper "hey sweet girl" and place a kiss on her head.

He was enamoured; besotted. He continued to stare, without realising Veronica was trying to make conversation with him.

"Will?"

He shook his head, trying to remove his thoughts. "Sorry, what?"

"Do you have a girlfriend?"

He heard Alicia groan loudly and laughed to himself. He watched as she moved closer to her mother, with Grace still nestled in her arms and started ushering her towards the door.

"No actually I don't."

"Did you hear that Alicia? Mr Georgetown _is_ single."

He couldn't stifle his laugh as Alicia groaned again. This time placing Grace into her mother's arms and physically pushing her out of the door.

"Goodbye mother." She lowered her voice, obviously to prevent Will from hearing; even though he still did "I am going to kill you when I get home." She raised her voice again, switching back to the voice that was obviously reserved for her children, "See ya later butterfly. Momma loves you, be good for nanny." The little girl smiled and waved at them both before leaving with her grandmother.

He stayed in his spot, watching Alicia as she moved across the room to her sofa, collapsing down on it and throwing her hands on to her face.

"I am _so_ embarrassed. Please don't even tell me what she said before I got here."

"She didn't say anything don't worry." She laughed and looked up at him with a look that told him she didn't believe him. "No really she didn't."

"Well good. So anyway, why are you in my office?"

He considered lying; telling her he needed her for something work related; coming up with some fake work issue. He opted for the truth instead.

"I was hiding from Diane."

She laughed loudly and he loved every second of it. It died off quicker than he would have liked, as a look of exhaustion took over her face. A look he assumed had something to do with the prison visit her mother had mentioned not so long ago. He wanted to make her feel better; wanted to take away her pain. He just didn't know how. He went with the only thing that came to his head.

"Wanna get out of here? I could do with some coffee."

He offered her a reassuring smile and was pleased when she gave him one back.

"Yes! Now! Let's go!"

She grabbed her purse and was out of the door in seconds, leaving Will to follow behind her; grinning from ear to ear.


	5. Chapter 5

They walked to the coffee shop making light conversation but not always needing to fill the void; already feeling comfortable enough together to walk in silence.

He shifted awkwardly in his seat as he watched her take her first sip of coffee, moaning quietly to herself as she swallowed. She smiled at him. The effect it had on him was stifling.

"Mmm, thanks for this" She nodded her head slightly in the path of her drink. "I needed it."

He smiled at her and mumbled a "no problem." Still trying to regain his composure after the moan she had previously uttered.

"So ... you met my mother. Just how humiliating was she?"

He laughed allowing his thoughts to wander to his meeting with her Veronica, "Seriously Alicia, she was fine. I would just like to say, that coming from Mr Georgetown himself, she seemed great." He winked at her and watched as a wave of red covered her cheeks. She laughed nervously and tried to avoid contact. He tried to stop the laugh that was threatening to escape his mouth; to no avail.

"I'm never going to live this down am I?"

He shook his head, still laughing. What he didn't tell her is just how flattered he was that she even spoke of him outside of the office. That just the thought of her uttering his name made him almost weak at the knees.

"Where did it even come from Alicia?"

She sighed; still smiling. "My brother; he's an adolescent in an adult's body."

Their conversation continued for some time, neither discussing the topic weighing on them both; neither bringing up the reason for her lateness that morning and neither particularly wanting too. He could see the weight seem to lift off her shoulders with every laugh. He watched as she came out of her shell with every smile. And he smiled as she cracked jokes, shared old family stories and acted as though they were old friends instead of work colleagues. He welcomed it with open arms.

As they arrived back at the office, they both parted with a smile and headed in separate directions to their offices. He only caught glimpses of her throughout the rest of the day. And he was surprised how it warmed him to see her seemingly carefree whilst talking with co-workers or completing menial tasks. He watched from a distance as she spoke with Kalinda. He caught her roll her eyes and laugh at something before turning and walking away. He realised too late that he was still watching her walk away, already having been caught by Kalinda. She walked over to him, a small, knowing smile playing at her lips.

"Alicia and I are getting drinks tonight." Will nodded, eyebrows raised, wondering why she was bothering to share that information.

"We're going across the street, the usual place." He nodded again, still unsure as to where this was going. "We're going to be there from about 7pm, till whenever we are both adequately drunk." She smiled, cocked her head to the side, turned on her heel and left his office. Before she had even crossed the threshold, he knew where he was going to be that evening.

To say the bar was full would be understating. It was crowded, cramped; claustrophobic. But this was his domain. He was used to good looking women barging into him, stumbling past him and standing so close he could taste their perfume. But that wasn't why he was there. He looked around, unable to spot the two people he had come in search of. He almost gave up, heading toward the bar to get a scotch when her laugh rang loudly above the noise. It was so distinctive and at the same time it was both so perfectly her and so out of character that he knew instantly who it belonged to and was able to find who he had been searching for in no time.

His eyes fell on her leaning over a table at a booth in the back of the room, trying – to no avail – to snatch a phone out of Kalindas hand. He didn't have to be up close to her to know she was spectacularly drunk. He saw Kalinda spot him and didn't miss the smirk on her face.

He walked over managing to catch the tail end of their conversation.

"You can have your phone Alicia. I don't need to call him now." He didn't miss the eyes Kalinda threw him before turning back to Alicia, who still hadn't noticed him and was smiling smugly to herself, clearly feeling as though she had won. Kalinda nodded her head toward Will miming "he's here", making Alicia spin around to face him. The reaction was not what he had expected. She sprung from her seat, wrapped him into a hug, giggled loudly and pulled him to sit next to her; more proof of how drunk she was.

"William Paul Gardner what on earth are you doing here?"

He laughed, enjoying her carelessness. "Clearly I'm here to save you from yourself – or Kalinda – or maybe both. How much have you had to drink?"

"One or ... two." He laughed as she struggled to keep her eyes open. He turned to Kalinda who shrugged her shoulders and laughed, clearly not as drunk as her friend. He looked back to Alicia who seemed to be pondering something. Her face was screwed together. It was adorable.

"Today ... I asked my toe sucking husband for a divorce. And I feel greeeat. Yep. Great great great. "

He could tell she was anything but, however before he could form a reply he felt her hand come down on his thigh.

"Thank you for the coffee today." He couldn't take his eyes off her as she bit down on her lower lip. "I'll need to repay the favour soon."

He knew she was drunk and there was a high chance she wouldn't remember how suggestive she was actually being; but he loved it. He glanced at Kalinda who was clearly trying hard to stifle a laugh and then back to Alicia who still had her eyes on him and a hand on his thigh. She squeezed it slightly before standing, brushing her body closely past him and making her way to the bathroom.

He took a deep breath, trying to control his thoughts. He looked up at Kalinda who was now laughing uncontrollably, something that was very out of character for her and she mumbled something about him driving Alicia home before she made an excuse to leave.

He spotted Alicia making her way toward him. He was struck – as he often was – by how beautiful she actually was. There were many younger women in the bar, but no one held a torch to Alicia; even if she was stumbling slightly. He took her by the arm and led her out of the bar toward his car, he lifted her slightly to help her in and laughed as she scooted down – trying to get comfy - so her head was barely at window height.

"So Mr Gardner, your place or mine?"

She laughed and let her head fall back against the chair.

/

She groaned as the spec of sunlight that always seemed to escape through her blinds, struck again; landing straight onto her eyes. She kept her eyes closed, trying to piece together her night. She was pretty sure she hadn't been _that_ drunk since college. She rolled her head to the side and slowly peeled one eye open trying not to groan in protest as she searched for the time. 11am. She had no idea how long she had been in or how long she had been asleep or even how she had gotten home. She finally opened both eyes, looking down at her appearance and chuckling to herself as she took in that fact that she was sprawled on top of her covers in only her underwear. She shook her head at her ridiculous behaviour, feeling very glad that her kids were with her mother.

She closed her eyes again, trying to piece together her night; laughing as she remembers taking multiple shots with Kalinda and groaning in embarrassment remembering flirting shamelessly with Will. It was so unlike her, but at the same time, she doesn't think she had ever had that much fun. She felt invigorated – no matter how awful she felt – and maybe it's because it _was_ so unlike her. Maybe that was what she needed; something different, even if it was just for the night. Somehow, she doubted that Kalinda was feeling as awful as she was this morning. Her thoughts wandered to Will; bringing an automatic smile to her face. She considered texting him, but shook her head; dangerous territory.

She climbed out of bed slowly; all of her limbs yelling in protest. Everything hurt; this was the price she had to pay for acting like she was still a college student and not a nearly divorced mother of 2. She threw on her thin black robe - not bothering to tie it as she planned to head straight back to bed after her aspirin fix – and headed to the kitchen; stumbling slightly as she went; probably still slightly inebriated.

As she turned on the tap, and poured herself a glass of water, she heard the TV playing and was immediately alarmed; no one was supposed to be there. She absentmindedly picked up the closest object to her - planning to use it as a weapon if need be and laughed to herself when she saw that it was Graces "My Little Pony." Whoever the intruder was, obviously heard her laugh as the sound from the TV ceased.

"Alicia?"

The voice was familiar, but in her hung-over state she couldn't seem to attach it to an actual person. She stood dumbfounded by the sink, until the presence made himself known; Will Gardner. Will Gardner was stood in her kitchen, hair dishevelled from sleep and looking more handsome than ever. She cocked an eyebrow at him in confusion as she noticed how he looked flustered as soon as his eyes landed on her and watched as his eyes roamed somewhat discretely over her body.

"Sorry, um ..."

It was only then that she remembered her attire. She grabbed the sides of her robe pulling it around her body in embarrassment, feeling her face getting hotter.

"Okay ... I'm humiliated."

He grinned at her boyishly, shaking his head "oh you definitely have no reason to be humiliated." She didn't have to look at him; she could _feel_ his eyes scanning her body – now partially covered by her robe – taking in every inch of her. She looked up at him coyly through her thick eyelashes and smiled, unsure of what to say; opting for the escape.

"Um ... I should put some pants on."

She heard him chuckle and mumble something quietly, as she took off at a fast pace toward her bedroom. She collapsed on her bed, face down, trying to stifle her embarrassment. If there was one thing she was thankful for it was her need to always wear good underwear _and_ her love of lace. She looked in the mirror, groaning loudly at her appearance. She ran her fingers through her bed head and wiped light smudges of makeup off her face. She pulled on some old jeans and a tank top, and made her way back downstairs trying to pull herself together; still not fully ready to face Will again.

She found him sat on the patio, 2 mugs of coffee in front of him. She took a seat opposite him and tried to avoid eye contact; failing miserably. She looked up to find him grinning back at her. She rolled her eyes in an exaggerated manner, making him laugh louder.

"I didn't know you were here."

"What?" He moved a hand over his chest, putting on a wounded act. "You mean that show wasn't for me?"

"Oh shut up Gardner. Why are you here anyway?"

He laughed loudly. "You don't remember?" She shook her head and grimaced, inwardly cringing, preparing for the story he was about to tell.

"Well, you could hardly stand ... or speak. I wasn't drinking, so I put you in my car and gave you a lift. Getting directions out of you was hard work; you were all slouched over in my passenger seat. You're not a very elegant drunk. " She scowled at him and gave him the finger; making him laugh before he continued with his story. "Anyway, we _finally_ got here, I helped you in and made to leave but you told me to 'stay, have a party, eat some food, drink some wine, join me upstairs'" She listened as he tried to mimic her voice. It was an awful attempt but still hilarious. He had an eyebrow raised at her and she just shook her head, trying to digest her actions.

"So that was it? Nothing else? I didn't say anything else embarrassing to you? You didn't come to my room to sleep? Where did you sleep?"

He raised an eyebrow at her questioningly but was still laughing. "No I didn't. I took the sofa."

She sighed loudly. "God, I'm such a sloppy drunk. And I had a crazy hard day yesterday. I was ... _am _a wreck. I'm surprised I wasn't more embarrassing. "

She watched as he smiled at her encouragingly. She felt at ease. It was crazy that she had only known him a month but already felt such a strong bond with him. He teased her about her attempts at flirting and inviting him to her room; she blamed the alcohol whilst omitting that it was really just giving her courage. She confided in him about Peter; about her visit to prison, about her shouting at him, about her slamming down divorce papers before leaving. She told him to stay for Pizza. He accepted immediately. She didn't want to read into it but feared it was too late.

/

He couldn't believe his luck. A decision to go to the pub had ended with Alicia drunkenly flirting with him, staying the night at her home, seeing her in her underwear and now talking as if they were the only two people alive; sharing war stories, drunken embarrassments; everything. Their closeness was new to him. There had been _plenty_ of women, but none had this effect. He hadn't wanted to know every detail of their lives; he hadn't wanted to hear about the nightmares their children had or how they loved old movies. He hadn't wanted to listen to them talk about their passions, or their dreams. But he could listen to Alicia talk for the rest of his life.

It scared him. He wasn't _this_ guy. He was the guy you had a fling with before you found this guy. He was the guy who slept with you a few times and then broke it off, or the guy who slept with you once; never to be seen again. Something about Alicia changed him. Something about her made him want to be a better man. He liked himself around her. He liked the man he was when she was around.

"So Giada seems nice." He hadn't expected her to go there. He knew she had seen her more than once around the office since their first encounter, but he hadn't really thought she had given it a second thought. He watched as she eyed him almost accusingly. And he laughed, louder than he had meant to and nodded his head.

"Yeah she's _nice_." He laughed again.

"What?"

"I don't really know her that well to be honest." He looked at her in time to catch the raised eyebrows and questioning stare.

"I assumed you knew her pretty well from the amount of time she spends at the office?"

He felt uncomfortable discussing this with her. He didn't want to openly admit what Giada really was to him. He didn't want her to know what _he _really was.

"She's just ... you know, we just"

"You just have sex."

He nodded and risked looking at her. He was amused to see her with a smirk playing at her lips.

"Life is so much easier for men."

Again; not what he had been expecting; he laughed loudly "How so?"

"You seriously need to ask that?" He nodded with an amused expression on his face, causing her to sigh. "If a woman did that, just slept with whoever she wanted, no emotions, no attachments, no commitment ... we'd be crucified."

"Well Giada seems to be managing. Are you speaking from experience?"

She laughed almost hysterically, as if what he had said was completely absurd. It intrigued him; _she_ intrigued him.

"Are you kidding me? I went straight from my high school boyfriend, to college, to Peter and now I'm here ... almost divorced with two children. When would I have had the time?" She paused briefly, "Peter however, now _he_ clearly has a lot of experience in that field you both play in." She laughed but it wasn't the same as before, it didn't reach her eyes. It wasn't as magical. It was a mask to hide how much damage Peter had really done.

"Seriously Alicia, Your husband is insane." He smirked at her before continuing. "What I caught a glimpse at today proves that. He went for the obvious and easy choice whilst he had you waiting for him at home ... clearly he is an idiot."

He felt sick to his stomach. He always seemed to have foot in mouth disease when around Alicia. Something about her made him let down his defences and actually speak truthfully and freely. He eyed her nervously, trying to gage her reaction and felt a wave of relief pass over him as she smirked and raised an eyebrow in his general direction.

"Be careful Mr. Gardner. Flattery will get you everywhere."

"Oh believe me, I hope so."

He almost let his head fall in to his hands in shame as he thought about the fact that he was clearly missing the blocker everyone seemed to have that stopped them speaking without thinking. Their eyes locked to each others, both smiling, both unsure of what had just happened, both clearly wanting to find out. They were so engrossed in each other that neither had heard the door open and close or the shrill sound of the phone ringing somewhere in the house.

"MOMMA! Dada's on the phone."

Ice water; the feeling that came over them both was as if they had just been submerged in freezing cold water. The moment was washed away. Reality swam back in the form of her mother, children and of course; her husband.


	6. Chapter 6

His hands travelled the length of her body as her pulse quickened, reacting immediately to the feeling his closeness had on her. She moved her hands into his hair, pulling his lips to hers in a quick but deep kiss. She moaned instinctively as he bit down on her belly; making his way lower. She squirmed in anticipation as she closed her eyes. She felt his teeth sink repetitively into the skin at the top of her thighs. Light kisses, sucks and licks lingering close, but not close enough to where she wanted and needed him.

"Will _please._" They made eye contact; a devil like smirk etched on his face.

"What do you want Alicia?" He almost purred.

"You. I _need _you_._"

Her hips flung off the bed as his tongue – his mouth – was finally where she desired him. Her moans were louder, filled with need. She felt herself getting closer to the point of no return with each flick of his tongue; a point she hadn't reached in too many months. Her thighs reacted, closing together around Wills head. She felt his hands aggressively; but still gently move them back to their original place, holding them down as her hips bucked at their own accord.

"Yes, Will ... Keep going." She heard the unmistakably breathy edge to her voice; almost panting. She felt all resolve leave her as he continued to work skilfully with his tongue; pulling her closer still to the brink of something toe curlingly good. One hand reached up to her breast, expertly caressing her as his mouth continued its work. She was feeling things she had never felt.

_BEEP. BEEP. BEEP. _Her eyes sprung open. As her head moved from side to side trying to grasp the situation, realising that what she was feeling wasn't reality. She grabbed a pillow, pulled it over her face and groaned loudly; trying to let out her frustration. Ever since their "moment" a week ago, before Grace and Zach and got home - effectively throwing cold water over them both - her mind had spun with thoughts of him both consciously, and unconsciously.

She inhaled deeply, before getting up and climbing into the shower; a cold one. She hadn't had sex in 7 months. That's all this was. She could go on with her day as if she hadn't dreamt about getting head off her boss; off _Will_. It didn't mean anything. She sighed. If it didn't mean anything, why was she now fully conscious and wishing he were there with her? Wishing that he were the one washing down her body, caressing her skin ... no. She shook her head, climbed out of the shower and went to wake her children. Ideally, they would have her thinking of anything but him in mere minutes; problem solved.

Everything was fine until the staff meeting. She zoned out as he spoke; watching the way his mouth formed every word; how his hands moved up and down the folder he was holding. She had no idea what the meeting was about, but she would be able to describe Wills tie perfectly. When her thoughts weren't in the bedroom they were in her garden watching him play with her children. Making them laugh more than they had since Peter had gone.

_She looked at him apologetically before standing and making her way into the house. She could feel his eyes on her as she embraced her children before placing a soft kiss on both of their heads. She followed her mother's knowing smirk out to the garden to Will, before snatching the phone and taking a deep breath._

"_Peter."_

"_I called you yesterday. Where were you Alicia?"_

_She sighed loudly. "I work Peter. More than I should have to since I'm the only one able to provide for our children. "_

"_So you thought it was appropriate to throw papers at me and not even give me the chance to discuss it?"_

"_I didn't want to give you a chance Peter. You don't deserve it."_

"_Well I'm getting a chance. I'm getting out. In 2 weeks, on bail. I'm on electric monitoring, I need somewhere to stay and the house is in both of our names."_

"_No. How could you even think that I would want you here Peter? It's not happening. No."_

"_It's my house too Alicia, I'm not asking your permission to come home; I'm telling you that I am."_

_She was ready to fight back; ready to give him all that she had but her daughters light hearted laughter pulled her attention away. She looked through the conservatory and into the garden where Will was running after Zach as Grace bounced up and down cheering and laughing. She smiled to herself. This was what it should be like. She shouldn't be worrying about making house payments, her husband being in prison or her crush on her boss; she should just be living, enjoying every moment and ensuring that her children are happy. She let a small laugh escape her lips as she closed her eyes and slammed the phone down without so much as a goodbye. She walked through to her garden, leaning against the doorway, watching Will continue to play with her children. She had never seen him like this. She had seen him as a ruthless lawyer, a flirt; a ladies' man, a friend; but never anything like this. _

"Alicia?"

She swung her head to face whoever was calling her name. Her eyes met Wills and he furrowed his eyebrows at her in amusement. She was zoned out. She had no idea what he was asking her. The eyes of all the associates and partners were on her; waiting her reply. She prided herself on being professional but her mind was taking her to a whole other place; a place that was entirely unprofessional. She tried to think her way out of it; but she was clueless.

"Alicia? Are you okay with the case?"

She knew he was trying to help her out, but she inwardly cursed him for not saying the name of "the case".

"The case? Yes, yes I'm fine with it."

"Great. Okay, everyone back to work."

Noise erupted as everyone started to make their exit. She let her head fall against the back of her chair and exhaled.

/

He watched her. That was what he did now. He watched her in her office, he watched her walk though the corridor, he watched her in with Diane, he watched her laugh, he watched her face screw up when she concentrated and he watched her space out in the meeting. He would be lying if he said that he didn't catch – and enjoy - her gaze landing on him on multiple occasions; a smile playing at the corners of her mouth. So when she was asked about her case, it was no surprise to him that she was caught like a deer in headlights.

"So you're okay with the case? You know exactly what's going on? You didn't spend the last hour dreaming about getting out of here and ignoring your bosses?" He smirked at her knowingly and laughed when she rolled her eyes.

"Fine. I have no idea what you said. I don't know who I'm representing and I don't know what they're accused of. Happy?"

He felt a laugh roll out of him automatically. "Ecstatic. You're partnering with a lawyer from Canning and Meyers." He paused and watched for her reaction; laughing again when she scrunched her face up in disgust and sighed. "I know, I know, not our favourite people but it's not Canning don't worry. It's some new hire. Diane thought you'd be best to handle it because of..." he paused, already realising he'd gone too far and said too much. He looked at her as she stood with a hand on her hip and eyebrows raised.

"Because what Will?"

"Well, you've been quite ... how do I put it ... aggressive in court and negotiations and depositions and well pretty much everything you've been doing this last week ...Diane thought we could use some of that with a Canning and Meyers lawyer."

He watched her sigh and roll her eyes, "Peters coming home."

He noticed the immediate change in her when _his_ name was mentioned. It wouldn't have been obvious to anyone who hadn't become as attuned to her every movement as he had.

"Ah. So that's what you were thinking about in the meeting?"

"No."

The reply came immediately; almost as if she hadn't really thought of it before it came flying out of her mouth. He cocked his head at her questioningly.

"I mean, yes I was thinking about that, among other ...things."

He just nodded his head at her, hoping that would suffice as his mind filled with the idea that she had been thinking of him. He felt like he was 15 and suffering through his first crush all over again. He was a serial dater. Monogamy was a foreign concept to him. Which only added to the confusion he felt when he regularly imagined building a life with Alicia; buying a home; getting married; making babies. When it came to her; he was an open book. All his preconceived notions were abolished. When it came to her; anything was possible.

A short while later he watched as Alicia stormed past his office. The look of exasperation she was wearing did not bode well. She was shouting into her phone. However the fact that his door was closed meant he didn't catch what was being said. He watched as she threw her phone into her bag before knocking Diane's door and going in. He watched from afar hating not being included in the discussion. He watched as Diane nodded her head in what he thought was in an understanding way and he watched as Alicia swiftly exited the office before leaving the building entirely.

His mind was on her constantly. He tried to use work to distract him which was in itself, a pointless activity. He moved over to his arm chair, leaned back and threw an arm over his eyes. He hated how he'd only really known her a month and yet she still seemed to be able to have such a sway in what he did, how he felt and what he thought. It wasn't even as if they spent all that much time together; but what they did spend together were some of his happier moments. He even found himself thinking of her children; hoping that the reason she left the office so abruptly had nothing to do with them. He sighed. He wasn't used to this. He was used to his feelings for women being fleeting; something that came and went with the blink of an eye. There was something about Alicia that he couldn't shake.

/

Alicia sat on the living room floor in her pyjamas, surrounded by toys, snacks and chaos. She had Grace tucked into one side and Zack into the other, both unable to tear their eyes away from the chosen movie of the night. She could hear Peter walking around upstairs and was glad that he hadn't ventured down to join them.

When she got the call to say Peter was being released that day, she was at odds. It had taken her completely by surprise which she supposed was probably his intentions. She had underestimated him; forgotten all the connections he still had regardless of his scandal. She wasn't naive. She wasn't going to delude herself into thinking that his managing to get out so quickly was anything other than suspicious. He had to have pulled some strings; which could be considered ironic taking into account the reason he was in prison in the first place. She smiled as a large yawn escaped Graces mouth and announced bedtime, much to the dissatisfaction of both children.

Grace was out for count as soon as her head hit the pillow; but not before a mumbled "love you mommy." She didn't have questions about her father's return; as far as she was concerned, daddy had come home and there was nothing else to say. She was after all, only 3 years old. Zach however, had questions. He used to worship the ground he had walked on, so when Zach saw Peter after arriving home from school, it was a surprise that he had seemed reluctant to see him. She wasn't entirely surprised by the route their conversation had taken as she put him to bed that night.

"Momma why is he home?"

"Daddy?"

"Yeah. Nanny V said he had been very bad and had to go away for a long time."

Alicia sighed loudly, inwardly cursing her mother and her loose tongue. "Is that why you didn't want to play with him this afternoon?" He nodded sullenly and she climbed onto his bed, pulling him into her side and letting him rest his head on her shoulder. "You know when you or your sister are naughty and we give you a time out?" He nodded, "Well, daddy was naughty and he had to go for a time out for a while too." She looked at him as he processed the information and nodded in understanding. "He was a little bit naughtier than you though little man, that's why his was longer than yours ever have been. But he's home now and his punishment is over. So just like you're allowed to play when your times up, daddy is too. You understand sweetie?"

He nodded for the third time, not offering a response, "Can mommy stay here and cuddle till you go to sleep?" He smiled at her and snuggled in closer to her side;

"Love you mommy."

He fell asleep faster than she expected, and she slid out off his bed and made her way down stairs, suddenly feeling the stress of the day catching up with her. She rounded the corner into the living room, expecting to see the remaining mess from her children, but instead seeing a clean room. She moved into the kitchen and sighed when she saw Peter retrieving two wine glasses from the cupboard.

She had to resist the urge to roll her eyes as he turned to her and grinned, handing her a glass of wine. When she didn't reach out to receive it, he put it down on the counter and rolled her eyes.

She shook her head in frustration. "I can't live with you Peter. This – she moved motioned between them both -"doesn't work for me. Either you move out or I do. And I'll take my children with me."

"Alicia please, don't be naive. You think I'd let you take the children without a fight?"

She laughed mockingly at him, not letting him get to her and never breaking eye contact. "I don't care how many judges you think you have sitting comfortably in your pocket Peter, at the end of the day; you're a criminal who's out on house arrest." She laughed mockingly again, letting the accusation of her words sink in. "If a judge were, by some ridiculous twist of fate, to give you custody, his or her reputation would go down the toilet; and I'd make sure of that. But to be honest, considering your position, I'd be surprised if any judge were to openly side with you. So before you call me naive; you should look in the mirror." She paused slightly, letting the truth of her words sink in whilst enjoying the look of contempt on his face. "I'm going to bed. And if you don't plan to leave, I'll start looking for a place for me and my children to live tomorrow."

She left the room without giving him a chance to reply, feeling strangely triumphant.


	7. Chapter 7

It was 8pm and he was still sat in his office. After multiple afternoon meetings and cancelling a date, he thought it would be pointless to simply head to an empty home and opted for paper work instead. He had never thought of his home as empty before. It had always been his haven; his bachelor pad. Lately, it had lost its appeal. It wasn't the new and shiny thing anymore. It was simply a reminder that he was strolling through life on his own; that he hadn't built a full life for himself. Sure, he was still relatively young and still had plenty of time to make his life - what he was now realising -he wanted it to be, but he had a nagging feeling that it wasn't going to be easy.

The TV was on and muted in front of him; not calling his attention until a face he hadn't expected to see appeared on the screen; Peter Florrick. He turned the volume up immediately, abandoning all work in front of him and focusing solely on the TV screen.

"It feels over whelming to finally be given this opportunity to go home to my family. I'm going to use my time wisely, and make amends with my wife Alicia and my children. I am aware of my shortcomings as both a father and husband and fully intend to make this right. I to work tirelessly to get my name cleared and get back into office. I would appreciate privacy for both myself and my family at this time of adjustment. Thank you."

He shook his head in disbelief. He was getting out of prison on house arrest, and already planning his return to politics. He knew - as most people in Chicago did - that he had friends in high places and important people nestled comfortably in his pockets, but he had never even imagined that they would aid his release; which he had no doubt that they had. At least now he knew why Alicia had left so abruptly that afternoon. He just wished that she had gone to him and not Diane; that she had trusted him enough to let him in and tell him what was going on. He picked up his phone and lay his head on the back of his chair.

His finger hovered over her name. The uneasiness he felt over making a simple phone call was baffling to him. Taking a deep breath, he tapped the screen and heard the phone start to ring. Her was already doubting his decision. What was he going to say? Would she want to talk to him? Would she want to talk to anyone?

"Hello?"

Apparently, she did. "Hey Alicia, It's me ... Will."

He heard her chuckle slightly, "I know that Will, your name came up on the screen."

He felt his face heat up in embarrassment. He was never this much of a basket case with women; quite the opposite in fact. There was just something about Alicia that made him act like a babbling teenager.

"Right, of course it did."

She laughed quietly before responding, "So you caught the news tonight huh?"

He could almost feel her grimace through the phone. "I did. It was unexpected..."

"And did you see how smug he looked?" She said it through laughs. He couldn't tell whether they were through disbelief or amusement.

He laughed louder than anticipated at her tone."He did look pretty smug." He cleared his throat quickly, "I just wanted to check in ... see how you and the kids are doing you know."

"They're doing okay. Zach took it all a bit harder than Grace, I mean, it's confusing for them. But I talked to him and I think he'll be okay in time. It's just all so damn stressful." She sighed.

"I love how much you clearly adore your children, but I asked about you too Leesh."

"Leesh?" He heard her chuckle slightly at the nickname and smiled to himself.

"What you dont like it? I think it's cute." He smacked a hand to his face at his use of the word cute. Alicia was cute. But she was also so much more than that.

"Cute? You're funny Gardner." She laughed again before continuing. "But yeah, I'm okay I guess. I thought I had more time. He got out sooner than he told me he was, but i'm dealing with it. And by that I mean I'm in bed with wine whilst he's god knows where in this ridiculously sized house."

He chuckled at her honesty and then let his thoughts wander else where. He smiled as he pictured her wrapped up in her quilt, glass of wine in hand. At that moment he heard the loud unmistakable noise of her sheets rustling. He smiled again; picturing her getting comfortable.

"Well then I'm sorry for disturbing you."

"You're not disturbing me Will. I'm glad you called."

He knew that second that the smile etched on his face would easily last the rest of the night.

/

Regardless of her current situation, she woke with a smile on her face; a smile dedicated entirely to Will Gardner and the 2 hours that they spent on the phone the night before. She hopped out of bed with a lightness she hadn't felt in a long time. He'd managed to make her forget that her soon to be ex husband was in such close proximity to her. He enabled her to let down her defences and just laugh with him; finally feeling carefree.

She smiled widely to herself.

Getting ready for work didn't feel like a chore; not today. She made her way down the stairs and was greeted by the smell of breakfast being cooked. She rolled her eyes as she turned the corner in to the kitchen to see Peter stood at the stove. He had obviously made enough for the whole family. She bypassed him on the way to her fridge, grabbing a bottle of water and snatching an apple from the counter.

"Morning Alicia. I made chocolate chip pancakes." He threw her a lop sided grin; the grin that used to make her smile; the grin that used to mean "I'm going to make you forgive me." It just didn't have the same effect on her anymore.

"I'm going to work. The kids need to be up in half an hour and my mom will be here soon."

She turned and left without a goodbye or a single glance back in his direction. She heard him curse loudly as she closed the front door and made her way to the car.

Work was going slow and she didn't mind. She found herself revelling in the fact that she didn't have to spend too long around Peter. Even endless witness prep or depositions were more appealing to her right now. However it was past midday and she still hadn't seen Will. It didn't worry her that she felt herself thinking of him throughout most of the day so far. Or that when she wasn't consciously thinking of him, she was looking for him; trying to catch glimpses of him around the office.

She smiled to herself thinking about the awful jokes he had told her on the phone and she stories he had shared with her from Georgetown. She couldn't help but wonder how different her life could have been if she had met him in Georgetown. Would she still have opened her heart to Peter? Or would Will be the one she was sharing her life with? It may sound bad, but she thought it would be the latter. She could feel herself falling for him; for the good nature that he hides behind his play boy ways; for the way he could effortlessly make her laugh; for the way he asks about her children. As much as Will Gardner was undiscovered territory to her, she felt as though she had seen parts of him that a lot of people hadn't. The thought alone made her smile uncharacteristically wide.

"Alicia?"

"Diane. Hi." She motioned for her and the unknown - good looking - man accompanying her to take a seat.

"You look happy, case going well?"

She felt her cheeks blush at the idea of Diane catching her immersed in thoughts of Will and let out an inaudible sigh of relief that she didn't know the real reason for her smile.

"Uh yes." She couldn't for the life of her think of a single case she had before her, "it's going really well."

She smiled slightly at Diane, turning her gaze again to the man accompanying her who had an eyebrow raised and a smirk on his face. She turned her attention back to Diane, feeling slightly out of sorts.

"Good. Well this is Nathan Locke, from Canning & Meyers. He's your co-chair for the Sanders trial. I'll leave you too it."

Alicia watched as Diane stood and exited the office as gracefully as ever, before reluctantly turning her eyes back to the unknown entity sat in front of her.

"So this case of yours that's going well, what case is it?"

He smirked at her again, making her uncomfortable. It annoyed her that even though he was irritating her, she couldn't deny that he was boyishly handsome.

"I'd rather just get on with what we're supposed to be doing Mr. Locke."

he laughed at her, shaking his head. "I knew you weren't working on a case. And it's Nathan, Mr Locke is my father." He threw a grin her way; the sort of grin that she was sure had won the hearts of many, many women. She found herself unable to stop the small smile that started playing at her lips.

"Fine, I wasn't doing work. So shall we do some work now, Nathan?" She cocked her head at him and watched as he smiled back at her, before grabbing files from his bag.

Before she knew it, hours had passed. It was getting dark outside and they had both migrated to the floor, files spread all around them. Despite the thoughts she originally had of him, he was a nice guy. They laughed, talked and worked well together. They ploughed through evidence, watched depositions and had started to build what they thought was a strong case. He didn't ask too many personal questions and she offered him the same courtesy. He was undoubtedly good looking; she would have to be blind not to see it. His dark hair had a slight curl to it, his eyes were bright blue - shining not dull - and he had a good personality to match.

As she stretched out slightly, checking the time on her phone, she smiled seeing a text from Will. She hadn't had the opportunity to talk to him all day, but had spotted him walking past on more than one occasion whilst trying to discretely steal glances into her office. She opened the message, still smiling.

_You wont get fired for leaving before midnight you know._

She laughed, forgetting about her company.

"Am I missing a joke?" She looked up at Nathan who was grinning down at her.

"No, just a text from ... a friend."

He raised and eyebrow and gave her a knowing smile, before he stood up.

"A friend? I believe that..." The look he threw her illustrated that he definitely did not believe it. She just smiled at him, figuring avoiding the subject was best for all involved; mainly herself. "I'm gunna head out. I'm grouchy when I don't get at least 8 hours sleep. I can't believe there's still so many people working here. You're all mad."

She chuckled. "8 hours sleep? God, I can only imagine what that must feel like. See you tomorrow?"

"Bright and early Mrs Florrick." He sent a salute her way before exiting her office leaving Alicia sitting on the floor, chuckling quietly to herself. Her _phone_ buzzed again, signalling a message.

_It's a proven fact that working too much, makes you boring._

_May I ask where you are Will?_

_In my office._

_Maybe you should lead by example ;)_

She pressed send and then laughed at herself for sending him a wink as she got up at sat at her desk, waiting patiently for a reply; receiving nothing. She gave up and started arranging all her work from the day, her mind constantly churning thoughts of Will.

"Food."

She looked up from her papers in confusion, to find a very flustered looking Will standing in her doorway. She smirked at him.

"Excuse me?"

"We should eat food, together ... some night soon, when everything calms down a little."

She put her head down and smiled to herself before looking back up at his expectant face. She had never seen him look so unsure of himself. Will Gardner; ladies man, nervous about asking her to dinner ... it was a rare moment.

"Are you asking me on a date Will Gardner?" She watched as he looked down and shook his head slightly with an incredulous smile on his face.

"I guess I am."

She couldn't resist smiling at him. "Then I'd love to. But I have one condition."

She almost laughed as she watched his face go from elated to worry with one sentence. She couldn't deny that she was enjoying toying with him.

"Sure, what's that?"

She smiled widely, "we don't wait till things calm down ... they're never going to calm down. We'll go Friday." He exhaled and she had to stifle her laugh as he nodded slightly; his face clouded with relief.

* * *

AN - sorry this update has taken so long, i've been without wifi, as I will be again after this chapter is published! But i'll be back in business in a few days. So to make up for being so slow, i'll post another one this weekend! Thanks for the reviews :)


	8. Chapter 8

The week had flown by. It was filled with work with Nathan, arguments with Peter, playtime with her kids and flirtatious looks across the office with Will. She felt like a teenager again. That was the only way she could describe. That feeling when you had your first crush and you would smile at him across the classroom or the canteen before getting embarrassed and giggling with your friends about it. That was exactly how she felt; except she was an adult. An adult who was currently still married. As far as she was concerned she was already divorced, but technically; that wasn't the case.

Peter had been particularly persistent all week, however his moods changed like the weather. One moment he was begging for forgiveness, the next he was shouting at her for "giving up on them." She resented it. She resented _him. _She wasn't giving up on them, she was simply over it; over him. She loved him, but not in the way a wife should love her husband. She figured she only felt love for him as he was the father of her children, whom meant more to her than anyone else.

She looked at herself in the mirror and took a long, deep breath. She had no idea where Will was taking her. But she decided to go fancy and chose a fitted black dress that ended just above the knee and had a cut out on the back. She stepped in to a high pair of heels, pulled her fingers through her soft curls and nodded her head.

She walked downstairs and smiled as she heard her kids giggling in the kitchen. They ran to her as soon as she entered the room, each clinging on to a different leg.

"You look pretty momma." Her heart melted as Grace smiled sweetly up at her.

"Thank you sweet girl. Are you two monsters gonna let mommy go so she can go to dinner?"

She laughed as both kids shook their heads and held on tighter. She felt the mood dissipate as soon as Peter entered the room. Both kids let her go and stood at her side. It was funny how things could change. They used to think Peter hung the moon; it would appear as though that had changed.

"Going out?"

"Dinner with a friend. They kids need to be in bed in an hour. Don't forget to turn on Graces night light."

She kissed both her kids on the cheek and pulled them in for a hug before saying good bye. She was making her exit and heard Peter following closely behind her.

"Dinner with a friend? Dressed like that? I'm not that naive Alicia."

"And i'm not yours to control anymore Peter. I'm going to dinner. Don't wait up."

He moved to follow her and stopped at his boundary. She turned and was greeted with a furious look. It was foreign to her. She had never seen him look so angry; at least not at her. But it didn't stop her. She turned and made her way to the car, reveling in the fact that he was unable to follow her.

She drove to meet Will who was waiting patiently outside his apartment building. It was unconventional, but they had agreed that due to her vicarious situation, it was the best option.

She smiled widely at him as he climbed in to the car next to her. He looked good. He wore dark jeans and a white shirt, covered by a loose fitted navy jacket. She felt her eyes assessing him shamelessly, but didn't bother to reign it in. She moved her eyes back to his face and met a knowing smirk.

"Hi."

"Evening Gardner. Where am I driving us?"

"First, you look fantastic. Second, I'm not telling you. I'll give you directions."

She pulled off, a smile still on her face and listened intently to his directions. They made easy conversation and when the conversation lagged, it didn't feel awkward. Neither felt the need to fill any silences. She stole glances at him at every given opportunity; smiling in satisfaction when she found him already looking her way.

He announced their arrival and her stomach instantly dropped. It was a place she knew well. Peter's go to restaurant. They'd spent multiple birthdays and anniversary's there back when she thought she was happy. She tried to hide her grimace before Will saw it and as she stepped out of the car and walked to Wills side it was easier to do. He pulled her hand into his the moment she was close enough. She looked at their clasped hands as they walked in to the restaurant, her previous worries already evaporating. It felt right. It didn't feel awkward. It didn't feel uncomfortable; it felt right.

/

Taking her hand had been impulsive. He hadn't been planning on doing it, but when she didn't pull it away, he was glad he had taken the leap. He had spent the whole day on pins. The confident ladies man was gone. This meant something; _she_ meant something. She wasn't like his usual girls. He didn't want to date her, sleep with her and then never speak of it again. He wanted this to mean something. He wanted it to be different. As soon as he got in to the car, his breath caught at the sight of her. She was always beautiful, but it satisfied him intensely that tonight it was for him. He felt even more satisfied watching her openly checking him out; something she had only previously done whilst drunk.

He was nervous; but it was a good nervous.

The nerves kicked in to over drive when they pulled up at the restaurant and her face immediately fell. However he decided not to address it and carried on into the venue.

He helped her remove her coat and had to swallow to control the thoughts running through his head as his eyes rested on the way the dress skimmed all of her curves perfectly. She turned and smirked at him before taking a seat, giving the impression that she knew full well what she was doing to him.

As he watched her looking at the menu, he could sense her discomfort. He'd spent enough time around her recently to know when she felt uncomfortable. He watched as her eyes darted around the room sporadically.

"Mrs Florrick, welcome back. Can I get you drinks?"

The waiter had provided the information he had needed. She had been there before. And by the familiarity the waiter had with her, he assumed she was more than a one time guest. Not being one to give up, he ordered a wine for them both and tried to smooth over her discomfort, whilst knowing somewhere inside himself that it wasn't going to happen.

He started devising a plan. He didn't want her to feel bad. He didn't want her to have to voice her unease. He decided to take the burden off her hands.

"This doesn't feel right."

When her eyes shot from the menu to his face - somewhat alarmed - he realised she had taken his words the wrong way.

"No! No, i don't mean this - he gestured between them both - I mean this - he gestured to the room - We should go."

He stood up and reached a hand out to her without waiting for a response. He sent her a reassuring smile which only grew when she placed her hand in his and let him lead her out of the establishment. He took her keys from her, leading her to the passenger side of the car, before he took a seat behind the wheel.

"We need to make two stops before we get to our new destination."

"What are you up to?"

He turned his head to her slightly and grinned, appreciating the returning smile he received. He made his two stops, making sure to keep what he had purchased out of Alicia's sight and drove to his apartment.

He heard her chuckle when he pulled a pizza and a case of beer from the trunk of the car.

"Why Mr Gardner, you're spoiling me."

He threw a wink at her, getting another chuckle as a reward and gestured for her to follow him. He breathed a sigh of relief when he realised she didn't look apprehensive about being at his place. He gestured for her to enter ahead of him and watched as she took in his apartment with a look that he couldn't quite read on her face.

"It's not as "bachelor pad" as I imagined it to be."

He smiled at the fact that she had clearly been thinking about what his apartment was like. "Is that a good thing?"

"I think so, yes."

He eyed her as she removed her coat and took a seat on the sofa before looking up and smiling at him.

"I'm gunna change." He paused, looking again at how incredible she looked in her dress, immediately regretting what he was about to say. "Do you um, want something to change into? Something comfier? I want you to be comfy." He smiled at her encouragingly.

"Actually that would be perfect. This dress limits movement."

He just nodded his head; trying to pry his eyes away from the skin of her leg she had just revealed by crossing her legs. He took a deep, composing breath and walked to his bedroom which was probably the wrong place to flee to considering now all he could think of was Alicia being in there. He changed quickly, dug out something for her to change into and walked back to the living area. His eyes went instantly to the sofa, where he had expected her to be, only to find the space empty.

"This view is incredible Will."

He turned to her voice to find her standing at the ceiling to floor style window and marvelled in the image that he would not soon forget. The lights of the city and the moon were shining down on her porcelain skin giving her a heavenly glow. She looked breathtaking. He couldn't find words, so instead nodded at her; holding out the clothes. She took them from him and raised an eyebrow. He immediately understood what she had thought.

"They're one of my sisters ... the yoga pants anyway. The tops mine. They stay here when they come to visit."

She looked relieved and smiled as he showed her to the bathroom to change.

/

She changed quickly and assessed herself in the mirror. His sisters pants fitted perfectly but she couldn't help but chuckle at how big Wills Georgetown shirt was on her. She couldn't believe that this was how their date was shaping out, especially after it took her so long to choose her dress. But somehow, it felt more suited to them than dinner at a fancy restaurant was. She checked her hair and makeup, laughed once more at her outfit, and walked back out to Will.

She sat on the sofa, making herself comfy, before snatching a piece of pizza and allowing herself to steal a glance at her date. He was smiling at her with a look on his face that she couldn't quite place.

"What?" She raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"I just wondering how you manage to make an old shirt and yoga pants look _so _good?"

She rolled her eyes but couldn't stop herself from smiling, which she had come to realise was a common occurrence whilst around him.

"Shut up and pass me a beer Gardner." He grinned and handed her a drink.

"I put this film on and I like it, so don't distract me Leesh. Or we're going to have problems." He winked and she laughed; again.

It was only about 20 minutes into the movie when she stole her second slice of pizza whilst instantaneously tucking her legs beneath her. She could feel his eyes on her and had to try hard to suppress her lips from turning upwards into a smile.

"You're staring."

She kept her gaze on the movie, trying hard not to turn to him; not wanting him to be able to see her elated expression.

"I don't bite Leesh."

Unable to stop herself this time, she turned her head to him. His head was cocked to the side and he was smirking at her with his right arm raised. Almost without thinking she felt herself shuffling across the sofa and nestling into his side, letting him pull her closer as he wrapped his arm securely around her. She found herself instantly finding comfort in the closeness; realising that this was the closest she had felt to someone in a long time ... too long. She smiled and inhaled deeply, shamelessly basking in his smell as she lay her head on his shoulder.

"This doesn't feel weird." She heard him chuckle and twisted her head to get a better look at him, instantly realising that from this new position, if she raised her head slightly, she would be able to kiss him. It was tempting, almost too tempting. her eyes zoned in on his lips and she involuntary licked her lips.

"Why would it be weird?"

Her thoughts changed path as she tried to piece together a coherent sentence.

"I don't know. I mean, you're my boss, we haven't known each other long, i'm still technically married ... there's a few reasons."

"I guess there is." She studied him as his face turned thoughtful before a smirk appeared and she knew he had some sort of witty remark to throw at her. "But I mean, when I first came to your place, you hit on me, invited me to your bedroom and then paraded around in your underwear ... So I think our awkward moments are past us."

His gaze met hers and he raised an eyebrow before they both laughed hysterically. The movie was forgotten and became nothing more than background noise as they talked about everything single detail of their lives. It wasn't the first time they had spoken like this, but it suddenly felt more intimate. Her mind played with a question that she had wanted to ask all evening.

"Why did you really want to leave the restaurant earlier?"

She felt him adjust slightly so he could look at her properly. They made eye contact and she gave him what she considered to be a reassuring smile; hoping to convey that it was okay to tell her the truth.

"I guess I could just tell that you didn't want to be there."

"So you uprooted your whole plan for our evening because of that?"

"What was the point in being there if you weren't happy? You being happy is the whole point."

She didn't think about it. Her hand went to his cheek and her lips went to his. It wasn't a passionate, intimate kiss. It was quick but it was meaningful; perfect. It was everything she had hoped. As soon as her lips left his, she sighed in content and put her head back on his shoulder, turning her attention back to a movie that she knew would not hold her attention.


	9. Chapter 9

She was awake. She wasn't sure how long she had been asleep; but she didn't want to be awake. As she scooted down in the hopes of cosying back up in her quilt, it became alarmingly obvious that she was not in her bed. That was when she felt the soft breaths on her head and the sound of light snores. Her eyes flew open and took in her situation; she was still on the sofa with Will. They had somehow maneuvered themselves so that he was led on his back with her tucked into his side; her head place - comfily - on his chest. Through the night her natural instincts had clearly taken over as she had a leg wrapped securely over his waist and an arm flung possessively over his chest. She was comfy. She was content. She was happy ... but she had to leave; immediately. She stayed still for a moment, trying to figure a way to extract herself from Will without disturbing him. Every movement she attempted caused him to move also. She was about to move her leg from his waist as she felt his hand clasp down on it; startling her.

"Stop trying to escape."

His eyes were still closed but he had a soft smile on his face. His voice sounded full of sleep. It was utterly adorable. She moved a hand to his hair and moved her fingers through it softly, enticing a quiet moan from the man next to her. She nearly led back down and resumed sleeping soundly next to him but the need to get home before her children woke overpowered every other feeling.

"My babies need me Will."

He groaned but started to sit up, rubbing his eyes and trying to smooth his hair and calm the obvious bed head. She couldn't help giggling at him. He clearly wasn't a morning person.

"I think that was the best sleep i've had in a long time." The yawn he attempted to speak his words through enticed a laugh from Alicia.

"I think you probably could do with a few more hours. Go get in to bed, I can see myself out."

He shook his head vigorously and stood up holding his hand out for her to take and helping her up. He squeezed her hand and smiled at her. She was sure that he was thinking the same thing she was; how nice it felt to wake up together. And even more so; how normal it felt.

"I'm keeping your shirt."

"Then i'm keeping you."

Her head spun around to him immediately and the butterflies she felt in her tummy fluttered more ferociously than ever. She knew it had never felt this way with Peter. He had never made her feel so out of sorts; so overwhelmed by all her feelings. She flashed him a smile and pressed another soft kiss to his lips. It was fleeting; but she knew it conveyed how she felt. She pulled him into a hug, allowing herself to savour the feeling of his closeness, his smell and everything else about him until she saw him next.

"Thank you for the date, maybe if you call me sometime, we can do it again." She flashed him an award winning grin and left the apartment.

After the scandal, her life had become a mess. Personally, professionally, romantically ... which ever way you chose to look at her life, something was broken. Until Will. He gave her a job, friendship, and now although she wasn't sure what was happening with them, she liked it. She liked how he looked at her, how his hand felt in hers, how his lips felt on hers; everything about him drew her in. She wasn't naive, she knew his past. She knew because she was there. She heard the whispers of the girls in Georgetown, she saw him from a distance parading down the corridors with a girl on either side and she saw him in the office, a different young girl every week. But she had trouble acclimating that Will with the one she had become to know and admittedly; become to develop feelings for.

She sighed and smiled as she put her car into drive and started the journey home. Her eyes finally found the time; 4am. She knew Peter would be furious. There would be no escaping his wrath. He would either still be up; or be raring to go when he woke up. Either way, she wasn't going to let him win. She wasn't going to let him control her life; not anymore.

When she finally arrived home, she let herself in and made her way straight to her room, not expecting to find what she did. Peter; in her bed.

"What the hell do you think you are doing? Get the out of my bed!"

She knew there was a chance that her shouts would wake the kids, but she couldn't contain it. She watched as Peter woke - slightly startled - and made eye contact with her.

"Well you weren't sleeping in it, so I thought someone may as well get use out of our bed."

She felt her blood boiling. She knew he was going to be impossible, but she didn't know just how far he would actually take it. It surprised her how seeing him in her bed made her feel so queasy.

"It stopped being our bed the moment you fucked your hookers and went to prison. Now get OUT!"

It wasn't often that she raised her voice to that magnitude, but Peter knew her well enough to know that when she did, it wasn't worth pushing her. She watched with a look of pure anger on her face as he moved from the bed, walking past her and brushing up against her side slightly. He paused at the door way.

"Nice shirt. Hope you had fun screwing your boyfriend whilst I looked after our children."

She let out a mocking laugh. "Do not even attempt to go there with me Peter. I've spent the last 7 months raising our children whilst you were in prison. And how about we talk about before that huh? All those nights you said bye to us all so you could go to "work" when you were really screwing your whores? Don't act like you have a moral high ground here Peter because you lost that a long, long time ago." She took a breath and closed her eyes. "Now get out."

He sauntered from the room muttering incoherently as she slammed the door and lay flat on her bed, immediately feeling repulsed by the sheets. Just the thought of him lying in them turned her stomach. Deep down, she hated that he had done this to them. He ruined their marriage. He ruined everything they had built together; their love, their life, their memories ... it was all tainted. In retrospect, the marriage was over before she found out about his hookers, but she had always been too blissfully unaware to notice it.

She ripped the sheets from the bed and threw them on to the ground as a small voice sounded from the doorway.

"Momma? Can we come in?"

"Of course you can sweetie. Come here."

She held out her arms and waited for both of her children to scramble into them.

"We heard you and daddy shouting and Grace was sad so I hugged her. Has he been naughty again mommy?"

"No hunny. We just got a little mad. You know like you two do sometimes if one of you does something the other finds annoying?" She watched them both nod slightly. "Thank you for looking after your sister though buddy."

She smile as he beamed up at her, but it was Graces quiet voice that reached her next. "Momma, do you have to go to work today?"

"No my sweet girl, we can stay in this bed, cuddle and watch movies all day long if that's what you want to do?"

She watched both of their eyes light up immediately at the suggestion, and pulled them in closer to her. If all else went wrong in her life; she knew she had her kids and that would be enough to get her through just about anything.

/

The weekend passed by at a snails pace. His work load was low, his basketball game was off and Alicia was at home; not with him. They had text intermitently but ever since their date, he needed more. He wanted to be close to her. He wanted to hear what she had to say. He wanted to hold her hand. When he had woken up and felt himself literally wrapped up in Alicia, it was the most conent he had felt in his life thus far. He knew he probably should have woken her so she could get home to her kids, but he felt too blissed out to let it happen. Instead, he opted to savour it and let his hand wander gently up and down her body; feeling smug when she moaned softly in her sleep.

It was still all too much for him to fully comprehend, but he was starting to believe he was falling for her. Not just for her looks, but for her. The way her voice changed when she spoke about her children. The way when her smile was so radiant, it could brighten his day. The way her boisterous laugh sounded almost foreign coming from her slight feminine figure. The way her lips had felt against his. For the first time, he allowed himself to fall fully for someone and it didn't frighten him; it excited him.

It was finally Monday morning. He was sat in his office, feet up, trying to look busy. He kept one eye on his desk, and one eye on his glass wall waiting for her to walk by. By 10am, he was concerned. She was never late, atleast not when it could be helped. He was about to phone her when he her heard laugh echoing down the corridor. It made his lips twist instantly into a smile; until she came into view.

She was walking side by side with Nathan. He wasn't the jealous type. He kept telling himself that over and over. And then he saw her lightly touch Nathans arm and he knew that the feeling that was coursing through his veins could only be jealousy. He knew she was working with him and they were bound to become close; but he didn't like it. He shook his head trying to gather his thoughts and pull himself together. He had no right to be jealous did he? She wasn't technicaly his. They hadn't labelled themselves. she hadn't promised him anything. He felt his tummy tighten and his palms start to sweat at the thought. It wasn't as if he could even ask her for a commitment; not with the collosal news he was keeping from her.

He sighed loudly and rubbed his hand across his face, trying to wipe away his stress. He couldn't hate on Nathan too much. Especially when he had - inadvertently - given him the courage to ask Alicia out in the first place.

_He was sat in his office going over Sweeneys case Kalinda. She was filling him in on all the information she had - some what suspiciously - managed to find. He found that it was better not to ask Kalinda too many questions. She always got the job done, but it was known that the ways in which she did it, may not be as close to the law as he would have liked._

_After a while, they were disturbed by Diane coming to introduce a lawyer from Canning & Meyers. Being from that law firm, was an immediate sign that you could not be trusted. Any lawyer in Chicago was aware of Cannings underhanded tactics. The man that was presently stood before him - whom Diane had introduced as Nathan Locke - looked confident, smug, cocky; all the attributes that he had previously heard used to describe himself. He immediately felt himself go on the defensive when he realised that this was the lawyer brought in to work with Alicia. He wasn't sure why, but it unsettled him._

_An hour had passed but he couldn't get his mind off Locke working with Alicia in such close proximity. In some inexplicable way, he felt possessive; not liking the thought of another man working so closely with her. It was inconceivable and unjust, but she had him wound so tight and he didn't even understand how she had done it._

_His plan was to stroll casually by her office once, check on the situation and return to his office to carry on with his day; unaffected. However that plan was shot as soon as he walked by and saw them laughing. A feeling that had previously been extinct, began rumbling inside of him; jealousy. He wasn't proud of it, but he walked by the office again, and then again and then again. Each time seeing something that made the feeling of jealousy lingering inside of him grow stronger._

_He was losing it. He had never before acted in this way. Never before had a woman made him act so unlike himself. It wasn't even as if he were walking by her office and seeing them holding hands or kissing ... they were just working._

_He went back to his office, resigned to staying there until Nathan left. He picked up his phone, opting to text her; anything to ensure that for at least a moment, she would be thinking of him. He smiled when his phone rang out, indicating a reply from her._

_"Girlfriend?"_

_He looked up to see Kalinda stood in his doorway with what looked like more information for one of his cases. She put the files on his desk and eyed him suspiciously. He was about to form a reply when he saw Nathan walk past his window, forcing him to the edge of his chair._

_"Ahhh. I see now." Kalinda raised an eyebrow at him and left his office. He shook his head, picking up his phone to text Alicia. He laughed aloud when she finished a text with a wink._

_He knew what he had to do. He had to take a leap. If he didn't he would always wonder. He would wonder if she felt the same about him as he did about her, if she would say yes to a date, if she was open to the possibility of discovering something with him. He would wonder why he hadn't been a man and done something about the way in which he was obviously feeling about her. Even if it didn't go as he hoped, at least he would know._

_He stood, straightened out his suit and left his office._

He sighed as his eyes flickered to the calendar on his desk. 2 weeks.


	10. Chapter 10

It had been a whole week since her date with Will and although there hadn't been another official date they had spent a lot of time together; both in work and out. They spent time in each others offices, went to grab lunch and he even accompanied her grocery shopping; much to her amusement. She was falling for him. She had never been more certain about anything in her life. On more than one occasion she found herself led in bed making plans for them. Where would they live? Would they have more children? Would they get married? Her divorce wasn't even final yet and she found herself almost giddy with excitement whilst planning a life with another man. She would probably find it hysterical if it wasn't so tragic. But there was at least one beacon of hope and that was that Peter had finally signed the papers. Their last blow out had cemented the fact that they just couldn't be together any longer. It wasn't good for them and it definitely wasn't good for their children. They both went back and forth, pushing and pulling with equal force; but when it came down to it, they both knew it was over. They both the life they had created together had dissolved into nothingness.

_"I could go back to prison, Alicia. Don't be unreasonable."_

_"I don't give a damn Peter." she held on to the kitchen counter, needing desperately to keep her hands occupied so she didn't reach out and slap him._

_"I'm not asking much of you Alicia. All I wan..."_

_"Not asking much? you're asking me to lie under oath. I'm a lawyer Peter. I'm not getting on the stand and lying."_

_"I'm not asking that at all. I am asking you to testify for me. To bring me home for good."_

_"I don't understand why you're not getting this. I _would_ be lying if I said what you want me to because I _don't_ want you home. I'm not going to get up and say that I love you and want you home with your family because I don't."_

_He looked defeated and he looked furious. She watched with a raised eyebrow as his emotions played clearly across his face. He moved decisively closer to her._

_"I will contest the whole damn divorce and drag it out for as long as I can. I will make sure you get nothing. I will make sure it takes every penny you have. And I can make that happen. You know I can. You do this one thing for me, and i'll sign them today. You can have whatever you want."_

_It took her a second to fully register the words that he had spat at her. She was surprised that he still had the ability to shock her in the worst way. She really didn't know who he was any more and it almost surprised her that that hurt. Was he this way when they met? When they dated? When they fell in love? When they got married? She had always thought he hung the moon. She loved him. He was her first love and right now, in this moment, she couldn't bare to look at him. She felt her eyes well up, and was momentarily angry with herself for letting him get to her._

_"What happened to us Peter? I don't even know who we are any more."_

_He sighed and shook his head, taking a seat at the counter. "I dont know what happened."_

_"I think we just both need to admit that this isn't working. I want to forgive you Peter, but I can't. And if I felt like I could help, I would take the stand, but I can't." She shook her head slightly and took a deep breath. "We need to cut our losses and finalise this divorce. If it's going to damage your case, I won't let it get public. Regardless of what I just said, I don't want you to go back to prison, your kids don't deserve that."_

_"Oh but I do?"_

_She sighed and let her head fall in to her hands. "That's not what I said Peter. I just think we both need to realise what's happening here. We're not in love; we're at war. __I throw insults at you and you swing and hit them right back. This isn't marriage. This isn't love. J__ust be honest with me, do you really think this is working? _"

_"I love you, Alicia."_

_"That's not what I asked."_

_"No."_

_They looked at each other, holding each others gaze with eyes glazed over as the realisation of the moment they had just shared sunk in. _

She sat in her garden with Owen, sipping on wine and eating chinese food. He was drilling her about every aspect of her life whilst they scanned the internet for apartments in the city. She had told Peter she would move. Considering that she had never really wanted the house in the first place, it was a blessing in disguise.

"So how's your sultry eyed boss sis?"

She raised an eyebrow. "Sultry eyed?"

"Yes. You know, that look he has. " He attempted an impression that was so awful that it was outrageously hilarious causing them both to erupt into fits of laughter.

"Oh that's it, that's exactly how he looks."

She opened her mouth to say something, but took a sip of wine instead which did not go unnoticed by her ever persistent brother.

"What? What were you going to say?"

She shook her head, smiling to herself. "We went on a date."

"Who?" She laughed as his eyebrows furrowed, clearly in confusion. "Peter can't leave the house."

"Will and I."

She laughed loudly as his eyes widened as he absorbed the information she had provided. "You ... and Mr Georgetown ... went on a date? When? How? What? I don't understand."

She laughed at his over dramatising whilst rolling her eyes. "He asked me and we went. It was nice. I told him i'd be open to another date ... but he hasn't asked."

"Maybe he's secretly married. Hiding his wife in the suburbs."

She rolled her eyes and laughed. "He's not married. And he's not hiding a wife ... I've been to his place."

She watched his face move through the motions as he digested the information. It was undeniably comical.

"Are you falling him?"

She avoided eye contact. Choosing instead to focus her attention on her garden. She knew she was without a doubt falling for him. Her emotions may have been all over the place, but she knew that there was something; some spark that ignited whenever he was near and enlarged any time they touched. She shook her head, not wanting to give Owen the whole truth.

"No, just .. I don't know. It's new and exciting. I like spending time with him."

"Well okay then. But why hasn't he asked you out again? He's hiding something."

She shook her head, a slight smile hiding her incredulity. "He's probably just busy Owen, he runs a firm."

He shrugged his shoulders, "I dunno sis. Seems suspicious to me."

She pursed her lips, choosing not respond; not trusting what she may say. He hadn't given her the impression that he were hiding anything from her, but what if he were? What if she had thrown caution to the wind only to end up as the injured party ... again.

/

He arrived in work that morning just in time for the staff meeting. Luckily, he never really participated, leaving it to Diane; just as he did with the general running of the firm. As soon as he took his seat, his eyes connected with Alicia's. She was sat near the back but pulled focus effortlessly. The colour of the dress she had opted for reeled him in. He never really had colour preferences. But Alicia in red was a sight to be savoured. She smiled widely at him and looked down to her phone; he assumed to reply to something she had received, or check emails; until his phone vibrated in his pocket.

He looked down at it laughing, pulling focus from whatever firm issue Diane was trying to discuss.

_Mr Gardner, I do believe you have a staring issue. You should really get that checked._

He chuckled quietly to himself, gaining a reproachful look from Diane. Before he had a chance to form a witty reply, he felt his phone vibrate again in his hand.

_Dinner tonight? No pizza, beer or yoga pants._

He looked up with a smile on his face and met her hopeful gaze. He nodded discreetly in her direction and watched her smile grow. He felt his stomach turn and felt a wave of what could only be described as shame wash over him. As much as he wanted to be the one to keep the smile firmly upon her face; he knew he had to tell her. This was it. Tonight he would come clean. Tonight he would watch the enchanting smile that now graced her lips fall. The thought made him sick to his stomach, but the longer he put it off, the worse it would be; and he was undoubtedly running out of time.

Lost in his own thoughts, it took him longer than it should have to realise that a quiet had fallen over the room and multiple eyes were now looking in his direction. Some faces full of shock, some pleased and one wore a look so obviously pained and disappointed, that it made him shiver.

"Will? Anything to add?"

He looked to Diane, with a face full of confusion even though he assumed the worse. He assumed that she had announced what he was hiding; revealed his guarded secret before he had the chance too.

"Um..."

"I'll take that as a no. Okay everyone, back to work. You can all congratulate Will afterwards."

The people in the room started to disperse as he searched for the one person he needed to reach. He caught a flash of red moving at a swift pace past the window and knew immediately that it was her. He moved quickly, brushing past people trying to congratulate him and wish him luck until he were outside her office. She looked almost as if she were waiting for him; as if she knew he were going to show up there. Her face was a mask. The poker face she had become accustomed to whilst standing by Peters side. She didn't look away or avoid his eyeline, she held strong; never revealing to him her true emotions.

"You're leaving."

"I'm leaving."

He watched her intently as he confirmed what she already knew. She shook her head and let out a laugh that seemed almost alien. It wasn't the laugh that had pulled him to her. It was empty, mocking, disbelieving; broken.

"Well okay then. If that's all you wanted, i'm pretty busy today."

He had to try hard to mask the shock that he immediately felt wash over him. It was not the reaction he had expected. He had maybe expected hurt, anger, some shouting; but not a wall of complete indifference.

"Alicia, I ..."

"Just stop Will. Stop."

The cold expression she wore told him he had to walk away and not push her. He could tell that he was not going to be permitted to explain. He turned and left her office. The thought that she may not allow him to explain everything before he left felt like a noose around his neck. He hadn't set out for it be like this. He hadn't set out to fall for her; it had just happened. He definitely hadn't set out to lead her on, although he feared that may be what she were currently thinking. It had all got messy and confusing. Without realising they had blurred lines. He had no doubts that he had fallen for her.

The shame he felt almost drowned him as he walked through the halls. Thoughts ran wildly through his mind. He knew it had taken a lot for her to trust him after what she had gone through. He knew he had probably ruined whatever chance she may have extended to him and it crushed him.

He sighed and lay back in his chair. His mind was spinning. He felt queasy when he considered that she may not even let him say good bye. He couldn't go to New York without holding her one last time. He couldn't let their last conversation be a negative one, their last embrace be tainted or their last kiss be regretted. He had to make it right. Already decided upon going back to talk to her a little while later, he tried to steer his thoughts in a different direction; which was derailed when his phone buzzed on his desk.

Alicia.

"_My place at 7. We'll talk._"

It wasn't much. but it was a start. It was the small window of opportunity that he needed. A short space of time that he would utilize to the fullest and _make_ her listen to him; _make_ her understand.


End file.
